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Toni Kroos has believes Arsenal’s lack of Champions League heritage offers Real Madrid a chance of producing another stunning European comeback against Arsenal.

A devastating second half display in last week’s first leg at the Emirates Stadium has put the Gunners in a commanding position, but not an unassailable one.

Real have made a habit of coming back from the brink in Europe in recent seasons and an early goal at the Bernabeu on Wednesday would dramatically change the complexity of Arsenal’s assignment.

Arsenal were eliminated at the quarter final stage last season following a tame second leg defeat against Bayern Munich and they haven’t been beyond the last eight since 2009.

‘The emotional factor will be a huge decider against Arsenal,’ recently retired former Real Madrid star Kroos told Einfach mal Luppen.

‘The team has to decide it in the first 15 minutes. That’s how it should go ideally. You need to make Arsenal, who have no Champions Leaguequarter-final experience, especially not in Madrid, think: ‘woah, it’s not over yet’.’

He added: ‘I can say from experience, usually when Real Madrid are chasing, there’s always that phase where you have a feeling that they will score one goal, even if it’s five, six or seven minutes left.

‘And as you know a goal in this stage is always important to survive. That one goal is so crucial for the 2nd leg.

‘But you felt that from the boys’ body language (I can assume since I’ve played with them for years), they’re saying ‘Please don’t score the fourth goal’.

‘And that’s very weird, because it was never this way. It didn’t matter against who, there were some matches which we lost, but that’s not how it was.’

Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, are certainly making the right noises and taking nothing for granted given Real’s recent acts of European escapology.

‘We’re going to enjoy the win, because we feel we deserve to do that, but we know it’s just half-time, and we’re going to have to be even better in Madrid to go through,’ said Arteta in Wedneday’s post match press conference.

‘They were talking about it immediately. You know, great, enjoy it, and now let’s prepare for Saturday very well, and then we’ll have the time to prepare for the next challenge in Madrid. But they are all very excited.’

Speaking ahead of today’s game against Brentford, captain Martin Odegaard echoed those sentimements, saying: ‘At the final whistle we enjoyed it, but what I really liked was the reaction from every player as soon as we got back inside the dressing room.

‘We know it’s only halfway through the tie – it’s different when you go to Madrid. We have to go there and put in another performance like the first leg if we want to get through.

‘That was the mindset of everyone in the dressing room and it was great to see everyone focused like that straight away.’

‘We ‘can’t get carried away, it was a top performance against probably the best team in Champions League history, but we know it’s going to be a tough battle out there and we have to be ready.

‘We’ve spoken about being able to win in any context against any team and now we get a chance to prove that against Brentford.’

Toni Kroos has believes Arsenal’s lack of Champions League heritage offers Real Madrid a chance of producing another stunning European comeback against Arsenal.

A devastating second half display in last week’s first leg at the Emirates Stadium has put the Gunners in a commanding position, but not an unassailable one.

Real have made a habit of coming back from the brink in Europe in recent seasons and an early goal at the Bernabeu on Wednesday would dramatically change the complexity of Arsenal’s assignment.

Arsenal were eliminated at the quarter final stage last season following a tame second leg defeat against Bayern Munich and they haven’t been beyond the last eight since 2009.

‘The emotional factor will be a huge decider against Arsenal,’ recently retired former Real Madrid star Kroos told Einfach mal Luppen.

‘The team has to decide it in the first 15 minutes. That’s how it should go ideally. You need to make Arsenal, who have no Champions Leaguequarter-final experience, especially not in Madrid, think: ‘woah, it’s not over yet’.’

He added: ‘I can say from experience, usually when Real Madrid are chasing, there’s always that phase where you have a feeling that they will score one goal, even if it’s five, six or seven minutes left.

‘And as you know a goal in this stage is always important to survive. That one goal is so crucial for the 2nd leg.

‘But you felt that from the boys’ body language (I can assume since I’ve played with them for years), they’re saying ‘Please don’t score the fourth goal’.

‘And that’s very weird, because it was never this way. It didn’t matter against who, there were some matches which we lost, but that’s not how it was.’

Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, are certainly making the right noises and taking nothing for granted given Real’s recent acts of European escapology.

‘We’re going to enjoy the win, because we feel we deserve to do that, but we know it’s just half-time, and we’re going to have to be even better in Madrid to go through,’ said Arteta in Wedneday’s post match press conference.

‘They were talking about it immediately. You know, great, enjoy it, and now let’s prepare for Saturday very well, and then we’ll have the time to prepare for the next challenge in Madrid. But they are all very excited.’

Speaking ahead of today’s game against Brentford, captain Martin Odegaard echoed those sentimements, saying: ‘At the final whistle we enjoyed it, but what I really liked was the reaction from every player as soon as we got back inside the dressing room.

‘We know it’s only halfway through the tie – it’s different when you go to Madrid. We have to go there and put in another performance like the first leg if we want to get through.

‘That was the mindset of everyone in the dressing room and it was great to see everyone focused like that straight away.’

‘We ‘can’t get carried away, it was a top performance against probably the best team in Champions League history, but we know it’s going to be a tough battle out there and we have to be ready.

‘We’ve spoken about being able to win in any context against any team and now we get a chance to prove that against Brentford.’

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Real Madrid made a request to get this weekend’s game against Alaves moved to allow them more rest ahead of their Champions League clash against Arsenal.

The reigning European champions are slated to play on Sunday, three days before they will attempt to stage another miraculous European comeback at the Bernabeu.

According to Cadena SER, Real made their plea after La Liga had publicly released the schedule on March 20 bit it fell on deaf ears.

‘As you well know, this match is strategically located between the two matches we will play against Arsenal in the Champions League quarter finals, on Tuesday, April 8 in London and Wednesday, April 16 in Madrid,’ read an email sent to La Liga, obtained by the Spanish radio station.

‘Moving the match against Deportivo Alavés to Saturday, April 12 would allow us more time to adequately prepare for both that match and the decisive match on Wednesday, April 16 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

‘We are convinced that our request is entirely reasonable and we trust that it can be met.’

Real made contact with Alaves before submitting their request to bring the game forward by 24 hours and although their opponents were happy to accommodate them, Carlo Ancelotti’s side has been ordered to play the game as scheduled tomorrow.

Los Merengues could well have done with an extra 24 hours to prepare given they are 3-0 down in the tie following a disastrous first leg at the Emirates Stadium and have several injury concerns ahead of the return fixture.

Arsenal, meanwhile, host Brenftord this afternoon still on a high from one of the most impressive results in their European history.

‘Great, it’s been an unbelievable energy, it was a very special night,’ said Mikel Arteta when asked how his squad as reacted to a famous win.

‘That’s over, and now the full focus is on Brentford, because it’s a game that is going to require the best of us.’

He added: Just one [day off]. I think they were very happy with that. Sometimes after winning you want to spend the next day in and around the team because you want to share that feeling.

‘But we had a day off because it was the best way to recover and prepare for the game against Brentford.

‘It’s not about bringing them back. It’s now maintaining that energy and that momentum and using it towards Brentford and the very difficult game that we’re going to face against a team that, when you look at what they’ve done, it’s just incredible. It’s remarkable.

‘It’s a beautiful story and they have earned it in the way they work, in the way they organise, in the way they believe, in the way they play. So big credit to them, it’s going to be a really tough test for us.’

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Ian Wright has lavished praise on Declan Rice and believes his club record transfer fee looks a bargain in light of Tuesday’s matchwinning heroics against Real Madrid.

The England international raised eyebrows when he chose Arsenal as the next step in his career progression upon his decision to leave boyhood club West Ham nearly two years ago.

Chelsea and Manchester City, who submitted a rival bid, were also in the running but Mikel Arteta’s vision for Rice convinced the midfielder to join the Gunners.

Rice has vindicated Arteta’s judgement with a series of outstanding displays and capped a superb individual performance against Real on Tuesday night with two stunning free-kicks that have put his side within touching distance of what would be only Arsenal’s third appearance in a Champions League semi-final.

At the time Rice’s £100million fee looked steep, but David Moyes, his manager during his final season at West Ham, suggested Arsenal signed him on the cheap, a claim Wright is now in full agreement with.

He told The Overlap: ‘With David Moyes saying we haven’t got enough for him. Remember him saying he wanted £150 million for him.

‘I know like now we can all jump back and say ‘yeah David Moyes was right’ but Declan from the time he’s been at Arsenal he’s made that fee look embarrassing.’

Arteta, Rice and a host of his teammates were quick, meanwhile, to point out that the tie against Real is only at the halfway stage with next week’s second leg at the Bernabeu anything but a forgone conclusion.

Arsenal’s defensive record in Europe this season gives genuine hope for optimism, especially after Jakub Kiwior deputised so ably for the injured Gabriel but Wright is taking nothing for granted.

He said: ‘[On Arsenal beating Real Madrid] It was an amazing game. I think everybody played well – [Jacob] Kiwior did very well and so did Thomas Partey.

‘Especially [Bukayo] Saka, being 50% fit – he was amazing. The manager has always gone on about the group and their mentality and they had to show it in that game.

‘There were times that I thought Real Madrid played well and the crowd were going off it in that place.

‘Real Madrid have never come back from a 3-0 down in the first leg. They’ve never done that so hopefully we won’t be the first. However, they have players that can score goals quickly.’

Whether Rice is capable of repeating his dead ball magic remains to be seen, but Roy Keane was not surprised to see the 26-year-old leave Thibaut Courtois grasping for thin air twice in the space of unforgettable 12 minutes.

‘Declan Rice has great technique in terms of striking the ball,’ said Keane. ‘Those two goals against Real Madrid, I was not that shocked that he did it. He has got that in his locker. The second goal was fantastic though.  

‘If Rice can keep getting more goals, then he can be on a whole different level like some of the greater players out there. The goals add to it.”   

‘However, Nottingham Forest are exciting to watch.’

We’re at the business end of the Champions League.