Real Madrid's discipline issues could impact Arsenal tie

The Emirates Stadium is set to host Real Madrid for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. Carlo Ancelotti's side arrive with doubts over their form and performance, but are back in their beloved competition.

However, this first leg brings with it six potential suspensions — excluding Militao — who could play a crucial role in Tuesday's tie. Six players are on the edge of a suspension, and should they receive a yellow card in London, they would miss the return leg.

These warnings explain why the Spanish side are the most booked team in this edition. Among them is Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian forward has already accumulated four yellow cards in the ten matches he has played so far.

He previously missed the match in Brest due to his first cycle of yellow cards during the group stage, but the yellow card he received against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano has put him back on the edge.

Why? UEFA regulations state that the first suspension occurs after the first three bookings, with subsequent suspensions applied for every odd-numbered card (fifth, seventh, ninth). In other words, Vinicius will miss the return leg against Arsenal if he receives another yellow in London, as that would take him to five.

Alongside him, Lucas Vazquez finds himself in the same situation after serving his first cycle and picking up another yellow card, also at the Metropolitano.

Antonio Rudiger, Eduardo Camavinga, Luka Modric, Endrick and Eder Militao, who is ruled out due to injury, are all on two yellow cards, meaning they are just one away from facing their first suspension.

These potential absences could prove crucial for the second leg, especially given the injuries already affecting Los Blancos squad at this stage of the season.

The close proximity of these players to suspensions helps explain why Real Madrid have accumulated the most yellow cards in this Champions League season.

Beyond the obvious — as one of the clubs that played the most matches after advancing through the play-off stage — Real Madrid have played 12 matches, leading to more minutes and more risk of additional bookings. They have now reached 30 yellow cards, occupying first place for now.

Behind them, Bologna (28 cards in eight matches) and Benfica (28 in 12) share second place, with Milan (26 in 10) following. In terms of individual players, only two — both already eliminated — have reached five yellow cards so far: Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool) and Alvaro Carreras (Benfica).