Arsenal defender insists he wasn’t nervous against Real Madrid | OneFootball

Jakub Kiwior insists he didn’t feel nervous ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid, despite the occasion.

Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Jakub Kiwior was perhaps an unlikely inclusion in Arsenal’s lineup to face Real Madrid until a couple of weeks ago, when first-choice left-centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes was ruled out for the season with a hamstring injury.

Gabriel and William Saliba have proven a formidable defensive pairing, and they surely would have been selected together to start if fit. But with Gabriel out, Kiwior had to deputise on Tuesday.

Some Arsenal fans were worried about Kiwior, who hadn’t played a single club match in February and only played the PSV second leg in March (with Arsenal 7-1 up). There were understandable fears he’d be out of practice.

Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Yet Kiwior insists that he wasn’t concerned going into the Real Madrid first leg, and he felt ready for the match.

“I didn’t feel nervous,” Kiwior told Arsenal.com. “Of course, this was one of the biggest games in my career. But of course, I had the big game [against Kylian Mbappe] in the national team, but I was ready for everything, and I felt very good before the game.

“Every clean sheet is perfect for me, because this is my job on the pitch. Mbappe is very quick, he’s a very good player, one of the best strikers for this moment.

“I have to be ready for everything. Of course Gabi could’ve played this game but he’s injured, and I have to be ready for everything.”

Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

As Kiwior mentions, this wasn’t his first appearance against Mbappe. He played against the Real Madrid man in a clash between France and Poland at the World Cup, and then again at the European Championships.

That first encounter didn’t go so well, with Mbappe scoring twice and assisting once in a 3-1 win. The second game was a 1-1 draw, with Mbappe scoring a penalty. But those matches clearly gave Kiwior the experience he needed to get that all-important clean sheet in the 3-0 win last week.

Another clean sheet on Wednesday would be very welcome, and it would see Kiwior into his first Champions League semi-final.