Madrid, Spain: Arsenal delivered a sensational performance to eliminate Champions League holders Real Madrid, sealing a 2-1 win at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday night to complete a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory and book their spot in the semi-finals for the first time since 2009.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were on target as the Premier League side held off Madrid’s famed comeback spirit, with the 15-time European champions unable to recover from a brutal 3-0 first-leg defeat in London.
The Gunners will now face French giants Paris Saint-Germain in the last four as their dream of lifting a maiden Champions League trophy remains alive.
“We knew we were going to suffer but we knew we were going to win,” said midfielder Declan Rice, who scored twice in the first leg. “It’s such a special, historic night for this club… we want to win this competition.”
Arsenal silence Bernabéu despite Saka miss
Real Madrid began aggressively, with Kylian Mbappé having an early goal ruled out for offside and David Alaba booked for a rash challenge on Saka. The Spanish giants tried to turn up the intensity, hoping to replicate past European heroics at home.
Arsenal, however, remained composed. They were awarded a controversial penalty after VAR flagged a foul by Raul Asencio on Mikel Merino during a corner. Saka stepped up but botched his Panenka attempt, with Thibaut Courtois easily saving it.
Madrid appeared energised, and briefly thought they had a chance when Mbappé won a penalty following a tussle with Rice. But after review, French referee François Letexier ruled there was no foul, frustrating the home side further.
Arsenal smartly disrupted Madrid’s rhythm, slowing the game and defending compactly. Despite Madrid’s bluster, David Raya went the entire first half without being forced into a save.
Saka redeems himself
Midway through the second half, Arsenal broke the deadlock. Former Madrid man Martin Ødegaard combined with Merino to feed Saka, who calmly chipped Courtois to atone for his earlier penalty miss.
Madrid hit back almost instantly as William Saliba lost possession on the edge of the box, allowing Vinicius Junior to pounce and finish past Raya to give the hosts a glimmer of hope.
However, their comeback hopes were dashed when Mbappé limped off with an ankle injury. Arsenal struck again in stoppage time, with Martinelli slotting home after another Merino assist to seal a memorable away victory.
This marks only the third time in history that Arsenal have reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. Mikel Arteta’s side, currently chasing the Premier League title, now stand two matches away from a potential final in Munich.
For Madrid, it was a sobering exit from a competition they’ve long dominated. “It was a difficult game, we didn’t create the chances we needed,” admitted Madrid winger Lucas Vázquez. “Arsenal were very organised and did their job well.”
Arsenal will now turn their attention to PSG, knowing that another disciplined display could put them within touching distance of European football’s greatest prize.
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