Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka scores their first aim in Champions League quarter ultimate second leg in opposition to Actual Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid on April 16, 2025. — Reuters
MADRID: Arsenal staved off Champions League holders Actual Madrid’s superstars and wealthy historical past of unlikely comebacks to grab a 2-1 victory on Wednesday and attain the semi-finals with an excellent 5-1 mixture triumph.
The Gunners’ 3-0 quarter-final first leg triumph final week gave them a significant cushion within the Spanish capital as they made the ultimate 4 for the primary time since 2009, the place they’ll face Paris Saint-Germain.
Bukayo Saka, who missed a first-half penalty, despatched Arsenal forward and though Vinicius Junior levelled, the 15-time winners had been by no means shut to creating up the deficit.
Gabriel Martinelli rubbed salt of their wounds with a stoppage-time winner for Arsenal, who’ve by no means lifted the Champions League trophy.
“We knew we were going to suffer but we knew we were going to win,” Declan Rice, who netted two beautiful free-kicks within the first leg, informed TNT Sports activities.
“It’s such a special night for this club, it’s a historic night for this club… we want to win this competition.”
Los Blancos, much more brittle than after they gained a Champions League and La Liga double final season, had been satisfied they may flip the sport round however created too little in opposition to Arsenal’s tight defence.
The Premier League aspect held their nerve to achieve the semi-finals for under the third time of their historical past.
“It’s a difficult moment… it was a difficult game, we didn’t have all the chances we would have liked,” Madrid’s Lucas Vazquez informed Movistar.
“We needed a bit more with the ball, maybe a bit more patience to be able to break through a very well organised defence — they did their job.”
Kylian Mbappe chested residence within the opening levels however was clearly offside, with the ahead gesturing to the group to show up the amount to create the fabled aura which helps Madrid pull off near-impossible feats on the Santiago Bernabeu.
David Alaba was booked for hacking down Saka as Madrid tried so as to add the grit they badly lacked of their first leg demolition in London, and the Arsenal winger additionally had a drive fielded properly by Thibaut Courtois.
Arsenal had been awarded a penalty seemingly out of the blue when the VAR sales space instructed French referee Francois Letexier to overview an incident from an earlier nook.
Raul Asencio pulled again Arsenal ahead Mikel Merino within the space and Letexier pointed to the spot, to the bemusement of the house crowd.
Saka penalty saved
Saka stepped as much as take it however his poorly-executed Panenka, skewing off to the left, was saved by Courtois.
It spurred Actual Madrid on and shortly that they had a penalty of their very own, when Mbappe hit the turf after Rice tussled with him.
Nevertheless, after a prolonged VAR overview, Letexier was known as to take a re-evaluation and he then determined Arsenal’s two-goal first leg hero Rice had not fouled the French celebrity.
The breaks in play, together with Arsenal’s dallying at each alternative, disrupted Madrid’s momentum they usually struggled to threaten Gunners stopper David Raya.
For all of Madrid’s bluster, the goalkeeper didn’t must make a save within the first half.
Martin Odegaard, dealing with his former employers whom he joined as a ‘wonderkid’ a decade in the past, helped forge Arsenal’s opening aim after 65 minutes.
The Norwegian linked with Merino, who slipped Saka in behind and the Englishman made amends for his penalty blunder with an ice-cool dinked end.
4 targets forward within the tie, Arsenal thought their work was achieved, with defender William Saliba not concentrating on the sting of his field in possession.
Vinicius stole the ball away from him and beat the out-of-position Raya to stage, two minutes after Saka’s opener.
Madrid’s more and more slim hopes had been dashed when Mbappe limped off with an ankle downside with quarter-hour remaining, and Martinelli made certain with a cool end after Merino set him up.
