Arsenal have booked a place in the Champions League semifinal in some style, having beaten reigning European champions Real Madrid in both quarterfinal legs. After securing a convincing 3-0 triumph at the Emirates, they completed the double over Los Blancos by winning 1-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Having had a first-half penalty saved by Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, Bukayo Saka redeemed himself with a well-taken finish to break the deadlock in the 65th minute. It was far too late for Real at that point, but a glimmer of hope for Carlo Ancelotti’s team may have reappeared for an instance when Vinicius Junior equalized just two minutes later.
However, the match was eventually settled in Arsenal’s favour by Gabriel Martinelli, three minutes into the second-half stoppage time.
Teams
Arsenal’s season has been severely hampered by injuries, and manager Mikel Arteta was forced to lead his team to the Spanish capital without defenders Gabriel Magalhaes, Tahekiro Tomiyasu and Riccardo Calafiori, midfielder Jorginho, as well as forwards Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
With David Raya in goal, Jakub Kiwior replaced Gabriel next to William Saliba in the heart of defence, flanked by Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jurrien Timber. Declan Rice paired up with Thomas Partey in the middle of the park, with Martin Odegaard captaining the side from a more advanced, creative role. Martnelli attacked from the left, Saka from the right, and midfielder-by-trade Mikel Merino served as an auxiliary striker again.
Meanwhile, Ancelotti also had a number of absences to work around. Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, and defenders Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Dani Carvajal, all missed out through injury, while midfielder Eduardo Camavinga sat the game out to serve a yellow-card suspension.
Courtois stood between the posts, as centre-backs Antonio Rudiger and Raul Asencio had Lucas Vazquez on the right and David Alaba on the left. Federico Valverde, who previously served as a forced solution at right-back, returned to the midfield section to partner Aurelien Tchouameni. Jude Bellingham played just behind striker Kylian Mbappe, with Vinicius and Rodrygo Goes on the wings.
Match recap
There was a sense in Madrid that a ‘remontada’ was in the air following last week’s heavy defeat in north London. The buzzword was flying around the capital, with even Ancelotti leaning into the comeback narrative before kick-off.
But Arsenal weren’t fazed by the noise. Though Vinicius and Kylian had promising early moments – one of which ended in an offside goal by Mbappe – it was the visitors who carved out the clearest early chance. After a VAR review spotted Asencio pulling Merino at a corner, Arsenal were awarded a penalty. However, Saka’s attempted Panenka from the spot fell flat and was easily saved by Courtois.
Rather than inspiring a Madrid onslaught, that miss did little to spark the hosts. They had a penalty of their own overturned after a monitor check, and despite launching a barrage of crosses, Arsenal’s backline held firm, with Raya untested in the first half.
In the second half, Arsenal continued to keep their composure while Madrid’s frustration grew. Bellingham lashed out at Timber off the ball, and Valverde’s fury was clear when Rice cut out a threatening pass. Ancelotti’s triple substitution highlighted their desperation, but the Gunners remained in control.
Saka found redemption just past the hour with a deft finish that stretched Arsenal’s aggregate lead to 4-0. However, Saliba handed Madrid a lifeline moments later with a costly error that allowed Vinicius to tap in and level the score.
Still, Arsenal didn’t flinch. They saw out the game with maturity and poise, denying Madrid any momentum. Then, deep into stoppage time, the visitors put the tie to bed in style – Martinelli finishing off a swift counter to give Arteta’s side a deserved win on the night and a commanding aggregate triumph.
Penalty calls and VAR interventions underline shaky refereeing performance
A Champions League quarterfinal, especially involving to very big clubs (as it mostly does) is never easy for a referee to handle. It takes a special kind of authority, knowledge of individual players’ behaviours as much as the laws of the game, and a great deal of preparation, to do it right. Unfortunately, Francois Letexier showed practically none of those things.
There were several minor but obviously wrong decisions – corners not given, throw-ins given the wrong way, questionable foul calls between the boxes. Letexier also failed to keep the anger of players in check a few times, but the moments that stood out are, of course, the penalty decisions.
First, the referee missed Asencio’s pull on Merino and needed the VAR to intervene before eventually awarding Arsenal a spot-kick. And then, he gave Real a penalty for what was obviously insufficient contact and warranted arguably a yellow card for simulation, rather than a penalty. Luckily for the Gunners, the VAR was there again to correct Letexier’s mistake.
The overall impression throughout the game was that the 35-year-old UEFA official was out of his depth at the Bernabeu.
Arsenal defence nearly perfect
Most expected Arsenal to grace the Bernabeu with the deepest and most disciplined of low blocks, but Arteta had made it clear pre-match that his side wouldn’t simply sit back from the first whistle.
And Arsenal delivered on that intent. While they did drop into a solid 4-4-2 mid-block at times, their approach was far more ambitious – they pressed high, disrupted Madrid’s build-up, and constantly sought to regain possession in advanced areas. Their out-of-possession game was superbly balanced, often reducing Madrid’s attacking patterns to sterile spells of possession.
Apart from Saliba’s uncharacteristic error, Arsenal were close to flawless defensively. Their compact shape pushed Madrid wide, forcing cross after cross. Timber was excellent in one-on-one situations, stifling Vinicius as few have ever done, Saliba had multiple standout moments despite the mistake, and the work rate from the front players was relentless. Rice dominated the midfield alongside Partey, shutting down central lanes and denying Madrid space to operate. As for Kiwior, he hasn’t put a foot wrong since breaking into the side.
Perhaps the most telling aspect of the performance was Arsenal’s response to adversity. After conceding, they didn’t panic or allow Madrid to summon their usual magic in this competition. They remained composed and saw out the game with impeccable maturity. It was another major step forward for Arteta’s side – one that shows just how far they’ve come.
The Gunners will need all that again – and more – in the semis, when they face a rampantly in-form Paris Saint-Germain side.
- Soccer News Like
- Be the first of your friends!
