Merino Gets 8, Martinelli With 7.5 | Arsenal Players Rated In Hard-Fought Win Vs Real Madrid | OneFootball

Arsenal locked horns with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium earlier tonight as they focused on defending their 3-0 first-leg lead in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. The Gunners made a solid start to the game and were held to a scoreless draw at the half-time interval.

Bukayo Saka broke the deadlock in the 65th minute but Vinicius Jr. equalised for the home team just two minutes later. Gabriel Martinelli ended up scoring a dramatic injury-time winner for Arsenal. The North London club secured a hard-fought 2-1 win on the night and a 5-1 victory on aggregate.

Let’s take a look at how each Arsenal player fared during the clash against Real Madrid.

GK: David Raya – 6.5/10

Raya made two solid saves at the back but failed to keep a clean sheet.

RB: Jurrien Timber – 6/10

He got stuck in with a couple of crunching tackles but struggled to make an impact going forward.

CB: William Saliba – 6.5/10

Saliba made a costly error at the back. However, he made numerous clearances to keep the home side frustrated.

CB: Jakub Kiwior – 6.5/10

He cleared his lines when required and won some aerial duels as well.

MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 16: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with teammate Declan Rice during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match between Real Madrid C.F. and Arsenal FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 16, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly – 7/10

He proved his worth at times on both ends of the field.

CM: Martin Odegaard – 6.5/10

Odegaard dictated play well from midfield but there was no goal for him.

CM: Thomas Partey – 7/10

He anchored the midfield well and was good on the ball.

CM: Declan Rice – 7.5/10

Rice offered decent protection for his teammates at the back and made two inviting chances in the final third.

RW: Bukayo Saka – 7/10

Saka didn’t shy away from having a strike at goal and was responsible for scoring the opener in the 65th minute.

ST: Mikel Merino – 8/10

The Spaniard linked up play well with others around him and has got a couple of assists to show for his efforts.

LW: Gabriel Martinelli – 7.5/10

Martinelli was a real threat in the final third and scored the winning goal in injury time.

Substitutes:

RW: Leandro Trossard – 6/10

He struggled to influence the game.