Arsenal told Real Madrid star could ‘expose’ them in Champions League clash | Football

Sol Campbell fears that Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior could ‘expose’ Arsenal when the two sides meet in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Arsenal dazzled in their UEFA Champions League last-16 encounter, thrashing PSV Eindhoven 9-3 on aggregate to punch their ticket to the quarter-finals.

However, Mikel Arteta’s side now face a far sterner test up against 15-time winners and defending champions Real.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side came through a dramatic quarter-final tie with Atletico Madrid and now face the Gunners for the first time since March 2006.

Blessed with a supreme attacking quartet, the Spanish giants will no doubt be emboldened by the recent news that Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes will play no part in the tie having been ruled out for the rest of the season.

While not enjoying his most fruitful period in front of goal, Vinicius still has 11 goals and five assists in 24 league appearances this season as well as seven in 10 Champions League matches.

And Campbell is fearful that the Brazilian could get back to his best in midweek if afforded too many opportunities by Arsenal’s backline.

‘They have to be conscious of Vinicius’ threat on the left side,’ Campbell told Metro via bet365.

‘Jurrien Timber has done a great job on that right side but you can’t leave him alone in too many one-on-one scenarios because there are only a few guys in the world who are better in those types of situations than Vini.

‘He will expose you, so Timber – or maybe (Ben) White – will need help on that side.’

Asked about Real’s other threats, Campbell pinpointed the all-action Jude Bellingham as a key player who Arsenal must try and thwart in the middle of the park.

‘They can’t allow him to start running the show and getting about the pitch and moving and turning and slipping people in,’ he said. ‘You have to try and shackle him a bit because he’s only gone on to become a more complete player in the last two seasons.

‘He’s so strong travelling with the ball so Arsenal have got to be on him straight away and not allow him to build up a head of steam to create those chances or find the space.’

Campbell continued: ‘When Jude is playing his best he’s almost like a winger in the middle of the pitch because he can take on players so well and drag his team up the pitch with them. Then even if they do lose the ball, the opposition is already penned in.

‘So they can’t allow him to do that or they’ll be on the back foot all the time. Declan has to keep an eye on him and if he comes into his zone he has to put a stop to him and make sure he doesn’t get those chances.’

An injury meant Campbell had to watch from the sidelines when Arsenal beat Real en route to finishing runners-up almost a decade ago.

And the former England international insisted his former side must not go into their shells if they are to have any hope of overcoming Real in the two-legged affair.

‘When we came up against them it was a similar dynamic,’ he said. ‘We knew the pedigree they had and we respected that but we had to play our own game and make sure we were not a shrinking violet and played our own game. That was the game.

‘If you don’t play your own game you’re just waiting to get sucker-punched and submit. Arsenal aren’t going to control the whole game – football doesn’t work like that – but especially at home, they’ve got to make use of the times when they have momentum and try and take their chances.

‘You can’t just wait to be picked up – there’s a sensible way of defending but never forget you’re there to win the game.’

Sol Campbell was speaking on behalf of bet365, an Official Global Partner of the UEFA Champions League, which hosted an epic Big Ticket Giveaway Game this weekend, and gave away six pairs of UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final tickets. For your chance to win semi-final and final tickets for the UEFA Champions League, visit bet365.com from April 17^th. Full Terms and Conditions apply. Gamble Responsibly.

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