In a night that will be etched into the annals of Arsenal’s history, the Gunners delivered a masterclass at the Santiago Bernabéu, securing a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie.
With a 5-1 aggregate triumph, Arsenal knocked out the reigning champions.
The North London side ended Real Madrid’s hopes of a 16th European title and propelled themselves into the semi-finals, providing an opportunity to win their first ever champions league.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the first leg at the Emirates Stadium had already set the stage for Arsenal’s dominance, with a commanding 3-0 victory.
Declan Rice’s two stunning free-kicks and a clinical finish from Mikel Merino ensured Arsenal went to the Bernabéu with a huge lead.
However, Real Madrid, renowned for their Champions League pedigree and dramatic comebacks, were far from defeated. Manager Carlo Ancelotti vowed his side was going to give their best and overturn the huge deficit.
This set the stage for an intense, high-stakes match.
The match began with intense pressure from Real Madrid, who knew they needed quick goals to overturn the three-goal deficit.
Early in the first half, Real Madrid faced a scare when VAR awarded a penalty against them after Raul Asencio fouled Mikel Merino in the box.
However, Thibaut Courtois stood tall, saving Bukayo Saka’s spot-kick to keep Madrid’s hopes alive.
Real Madrid got a penalty of their own before VAR reversed the decision due to an offside offence in the build-up.
Despite the hostile atmosphere, Arsenal remained composed. Arteta’s tactical setup frustrated Madrid’s attacking rhythm.
The turning point came in the 65th minute when Bukayo Saka redeemed his earlier miss. A swift counter-attack saw Martin Ødegaard thread a precise pass to Saka, who cut inside and curled a sublime effort past Courtois into the top corner.
Real Madrid responded two minutes later, with Vinicius Jr. capitalizing on a rare defensive lapse to slot home a goal, briefly reigniting the Bernabéu’s hopes.
However, Arsenal’s resolve held firm. As the clock ticked into stoppage time, Gabriel Martinelli delivered the knockout blow.
Martinelli outpaced the Madrid defence and fired a low shot into the bottom corner, securing a 2-1 win on the night and a 5-1 aggregate triumph.
Following the win, Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), who defeated Aston Villa to go through to the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League.
On the other hand, Inter held out to a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich to set a semifinal tie with Barcelona who dumped Dortmund out of the competition.
