Bukayo Saka experienced a rollercoaster night as Arsenal advanced to the Champions League semi-finals with a 2-1 result at the Santiago Bernabeu, sealing a 5-1 aggregate victory over Real Madrid.
The visitors were awarded a penalty just 13 minutes into the match after Mikel Merino was brought down by Raul Asencio. Saka stepped up, but his chipped attempt lacked power and was comfortably stopped by Thibaut Courtois.
The young England star later made up for the miss in the second half, finishing with style after being picked out by Merino. His clever chipped shot over Courtois made it 1-0 on the night and all but ended Madrid’s hopes.
Arsenal hold firm under pressure
Real briefly responded through Vinicius Junior, who took advantage of a major error by William Saliba to tap into an open net, reducing the deficit to 4-1 on aggregate. But the Spanish side never truly looked like turning the tie around.
Gabriel Martinelli sealed the win in stoppage time, finishing a swift counterattack after another assist from Merino. The goal made it 2-1 on the night and confirmed Arsenal’s passage to the final four.
Despite a noisy home crowd hoping for a famous turnaround, Real were denied a penalty after Kylian Mbappe went down under minimal contact from Declan Rice. A VAR review reversed the on-field decision.
Arteta guides Gunners to historic achievement
This marks only the third time Arsenal has reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. They will face Paris St-Germain, who they defeated 2-0 in the group stage. However, the French side, now led by Luis Enrique, are considered stronger than before.
Mikel Arteta’s team came into the match with a three-goal cushion and handled the occasion with composure. They avoided being overwhelmed by the atmosphere and did not allow Real to gain momentum.
Arsenal have now gone 100 matches without conceding more than twice and haven’t lost a game by four goals since a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in late 2021. Arteta has also managed to adapt successfully to several injuries in his squad and guided his team to an impressive five goals across both legs without a traditional center forward.
Real fall short of famous comeback
The word on everyone’s lips in Madrid was “la remontada”, with hopes of repeating past comebacks in Europe. The club had previously overcome first-leg deficits against teams like Wolfsburg, PSG, and Manchester City in recent years.
But this time, Arsenal proved too strong across both legs. Real Madrid’s players showed belief going into the match, but they struggled to match the intensity and control of their English opponents.
Carlo Ancelotti will now have to shift his attention back to domestic matters, with his team trailing La Liga leaders Barcelona by four points in the title race.
