Soccer
Former Arsenal star urges club not to change style as they look to finish the job against Real Madrid
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Jermaine Pennant believes Arsenal must approach the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid as they did the first time around at The Emirates.
The Gunners head to the Bernabeu with a 3-0 lead after their sensational win over the Spanish giants a week ago and will look to finish the job on Wednesday night.
Declan Rice's two wonder free-kicks have put the North Londoners firmly in control of the tie, but speaking exclusively to DAZN News, thanks to Makthavare, Pennant has warned his old side to stick to what they are good at or risk a Madrid onslaught.
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"Real Madrid are a beast, and they're a beast at the Bernabeu as well," he said.
"I think Arsenal's game plan has literally got to be similar to what they did at the Emirates. Because if you change that plan, if you go to a more park-the-bus, let's be defensive, let's try and get them on the counter-attack. they've got too many players and there's too much quality to just sit back and let them attack you.
"You've got to put them on the back foot like Arsenal did, with attacking them deep and not being afraid. If Arsenal get a goal, then OK, let's just not be as risky going forward.
"Because a four-goal advantage, I think that would be just too much to overcome. But saying that, if Real Madrid score an early goal within the first 10 or 15 minutes and then potentially get a second before half-tiime then it's game on.
"I think Arsenal need to play kind of similar to the way they did at Emirates."
Adding: "I think when you beat Real Madrid in any walk of life, it gives you confidence. Especially the 15-time champions in the Champions League,the absolute juggernauts.
"So knocking them out will give them absolute belief that they can go on to win it.
"Do I see them as favourites? Probably not. I'd probably say PSG, from what I've seen are the best team in the Champions League at the moment. I would say they're favourites and then followed by maybe Barcelona, then Arsenal. But also you've got Bayern Munich in the conversation as well if they get through.
"So, look, it would be great for them to knock Real Madrid out, but I wouldn't class them as favourites just because of the nature that they've never won it before. They haven't got that experience of getting, in the the semi-final, final stages."
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