Arsenal Host Sporting in Champions League Quarter-Final Second Leg

Mikel Arteta will be banking on European redemption to ease the pain of a miserable domestic fortnight for Arsenal. The Gunners have endured a torrid time in the Premier League of late, tumbling out of the FA Cup to Southampton and watching their title lead evaporate to just six points following a laboured 2-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth.

The silver lining, however, arrived courtesy of that crucial away victory over Sporting in Portugal. A 1-0 triumph in the quarter-final's opening encounter has left Arsenal in commanding position as they prepare for the return fixture. Arsenal's European campaign has been nothing short of exceptional this term – ten wins and a single draw from eleven outings, with just five goals conceded across the competition.

Match Details

The second leg takes place at 8pm BST on Wednesday, April 15 at the Emirates Stadium. TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max will televise proceedings, with coverage commencing at 7pm. BBC Radio 5 Live and TalkSPORT offer alternative audio options for supporters.

Team News

Arsenal have concerns to address in the build-up, with Mikel Merino unavailable. Arteta must evaluate the fitness of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori ahead of kick-off. The manager faces a tactical dilemma: whether to rotate following the uninspired showing against Bournemouth or maintain consistency, all while keeping one eye on Sunday's heavyweight Premier League clash with Manchester City.

Sporting, meanwhile, welcome back captain Morten Hjulmand, who sat out the first leg through suspension. Luis Suarez, their leading marksman, is available for selection despite earlier suggestions he might face a ban for a booking received in the previous week.

The Odds

Arsenal's odds to progress have tightened considerably following that 1-0 victory courtesy of Kai Havertz's late intervention in Lisbon. The Gunners are now priced at 1/25 to reach the semi-finals, with Sporting at 10/1. For Wednesday's encounter specifically, Arsenal are 4/9 favourites to win the match, Sporting are 11/2 to triumph on the night, and the draw sits at 10/3. In the broader Champions League picture, Arsenal share joint-favouritism at 9/4 alongside Bayern Munich, whilst Sporting are distant outsiders at 80/1.

Preview

Arsenal have been virtually flawless in Europe this season and represent prohibitive favourites to secure passage to the last four for a second successive year. A 2-0 victory is available at 13/2 and would represent a fitting conclusion to the tie, though there's a risk that early caution could allow Sporting back into proceedings if the Gunners fail to strike quickly. The Portuguese side must attack with conviction – they have nothing to lose in this scenario.

Both Teams to Score is evenly priced at even money, whilst a 1-1 draw can be backed at 15/2. Arsenal will be desperate to wrap matters up efficiently and redirect their attentions towards the weekend's blockbuster meeting at the Etihad.