Home SPORTS UCL: Arsenal Advances to Champions League Semi-finals with Thrilling Win

UCL: Arsenal Advances to Champions League Semi-finals with Thrilling Win

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Arsenal seals their spot in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals with a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, progressing 5-1 on aggregate. Get the latest updates on the match.



Arsenal sealed their return to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2009, as a brilliant 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu saw Mikel Arteta’s men progress 5-1 on aggregate.


Armed with a commanding three-goal advantage after Declan Rice’s first-leg heroics in North London, the Gunners knew a solid start was needed at the home of the 15-time tournament winners.


The visitors began with a staunch mindset, and having withstood some early pressure from Real, Arteta’s side were given a glorious opportunity to extend their aggregate lead further.


VAR penalised Raul Asencio for a foul on Mikel Merino in the box, only for Bukayo Saka’s dinked penalty to be clawed away by Thibaut Courtois.


The visitors began with a staunch mindset, withstanding some early pressure from Real Madrid. They were given a glorious opportunity to extend their aggregate lead further when VAR penalized Raúl Asencio for a foul on Mikel Merino in the box. However, Bukayo Saka's dinked penalty was clawed away by Thibaut Courtois.


Bukayo Saka put Arsenal ahead after Mikel Merino's pass in the 65th minute. Real Madrid equalized through Vinícius Júnior after a defensive blunder by William Saliba. Gabriel Martinelli completed the scoring three minutes into stoppage time after an assist by Merino, securing Arsenal's spot in the semi-finals where they'll face Paris Saint-Germain.


Declan Rice expressed confidence in Arsenal's ability to win, saying, “There was talk about Madrid coming back, because they've done it many times before, but we had belief and confidence to win. We had it in our minds and now we've done it in real life.” Mikel Arteta praised his team's performance, stating, “This is one of the best nights in my football career. It's a special one against a team inspiration. To win this tie, we can be proud.”


Arsenal sealed their return to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2009 with a brilliant 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, progressing 5-1 on aggregate.


The visitors began with a staunch mindset, withstanding some early pressure from Real Madrid. They were given a glorious opportunity to extend their aggregate lead further when VAR penalized Raúl Asencio for a foul on Mikel Merino in the box. However, Bukayo Saka's dinked penalty was clawed away by Thibaut Courtois.




Bukayo Saka put Arsenal ahead after Mikel Merino's pass in the 65th minute. Real Madrid equalized through Vinícius Júnior after a defensive blunder by William Saliba. Gabriel Martinelli completed the scoring three minutes into stoppage time after an assist by Merino, securing Arsenal's spot in the semi-finals where they'll face Paris Saint-Germain.


Declan Rice expressed confidence in Arsenal's ability to win, saying, “There was talk about Madrid coming back, because they've done it many times before, but we had belief and confidence to win. We had it in our minds and now we've done it in real life.” Mikel Arteta praised his team's performance, stating, “This is one of the best nights in my football career. It's a special one against a team inspiration. To win this tie, we can be proud.”


The hosts thought they'd been awarded a spot-kick themselves shortly after the penalty call, but Rice's soft challenge on Kylian Mbappé was overturned after a lengthy review. Real Madrid continued to probe for a breakthrough as the first half progressed, but despite their possession, David Raya was largely a bystander in the visitors' goal as the Arsenal rearguard held firm to maintain their three-goal aggregate cushion at the break.


With 45 minutes to save their Champions League campaign, Los Blancos upped the ante at the start of the second half. Mbappé headed over from eight yards, and Vinicius Junior saw a curled effort comfortably saved by Raya. Despite the hosts' improvement, it was Arsenal who delivered a sucker-punch in the 65th minute when a superb team move culminated in Merino releasing Saka through on goal. Saka lifted a delicate finish over Courtois, all but ending the tie.


Real Madrid restored parity on the night just two minutes after Saka's goal, as Vinicius pounced on poor defending from William Saliba to power the ball into an empty net. However, this ultimately proved to be little more than a consolation.


The Gunners eased through the closing stages before netting a richly deserved winner deep into stoppage time through Gabriel Martinelli's breakaway run and finish. The result sees Arsenal progress for the 19th time in 21 UEFA ties after winning a home first leg.


The win advances Arsenal to the semi-finals, while Real Madrid will focus on their LaLiga campaign, seeking a positive response against Athletic Club on Sunday to reduce Barcelona's four-point lead at the summit.



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