Thibaut Courtois insists Real Madrid are ready to put their set piece problems behind them and quell one of Arsenal’s greatest threats in Tuesday’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg.

Mouctar Diakhaby’s header in Valencia’s 2-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu marked the 10th goal Madrid has conceded from corners this season, an ominous sign given that dead balls are one of the most devastating weapons in Arsenal’s arsenal. Since the start of last season, Arsenal has scored 31 goals from set pieces in league games, only outperformed by Bayer Leverkusen in Europe’s top leagues.

Despite the potential absence of their best set piece weapon, Gabriel Magalhaes being sidelined for the season, the deliveries from Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice remain hazardous, not requiring a towering center back to capitalize on them. Madrid acknowledges the threat Arsenal poses when the ball is out of play, with Courtois emphasizing the need to avoid giving away too many corners.

“We worked on defending set pieces in training yesterday,” Courtois stated. “We know Arsenal are proficient at them. We cannot afford to give away too many corners; it boils down to concentration.”

Carlo Ancelotti echoed this sentiment, remarking that Madrid is also adept at turning their dead balls into goals. Two of their goals in a recent 4-4 draw with Real Sociedad were set pieces, establishing their own offensive threats.

“Experience in this competition is crucial,” Ancelotti added. “Ability and prior participation in high-pressure games instill confidence in the team.”

As the Champions League’s most successful side, Real Madrid aims to leverage their extensive experience against an Arsenal team hungry for success at this stage.