Arsenal completed a 5-1 aggregate win over holders Real Madrid to end their 16-year wait for a Champions League semi-final appearance, Bukayo Saka recovering from having an early penalty saved to put the visitors on their way to a confident victory.
Key moments
8′: Courtois beats Saka strike away
13′: Madrid goalkeeper saves No7’s penalty
45+5′: Fierce Martinelli shot palmed away
65′: Saka finish extends Arsenal advantage
67′: Vinícius Júnior pounces to reply
90+3′: Martinelli gives visitors victory on night
Match in brief: Impressive Arsenal ease through
Bukayo Saka lofts in Arsenal’s opening goal against Real MadridAFP via Getty Images
While Arsenal named an unchanged side from their 3-0 first-leg win in London, Madrid restored Aurélien Tchouaméni after a ban – replacing the suspended Eduardo Camavinga – and brought in Lucas Vázquez for Luka Modrić, allowing Federico Valverde to advance to midfield.
If the visitors’ selection reflected a desire to continue where they left off, their bright start answered that wish. Key creative presence Bukayo Saka proved their greatest threat, arrowing a fierce shot wide before forcing Thibaut Courtois to beat his drive from distance away.
Saka’s best chance of the half would arrive shortly afterwards when Raúl Asencio was adjudged to have impeded Mikel Merino inside the penalty area, only for Courtois to turn the England international’s chipped penalty behind and revive the chants of belief emanating from home fans who had been used to seeing their side secure sensational comebacks in the competition.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois guesses correctly to keep Bukayo Saka’s penalty outAFP via Getty Images
Canny Arsenal stopped Madrid from producing an attempt on target during the first half, testing Courtois again with the break approaching when Rice – scorer of two superb free-kicks during the first leg – fed Gabriel Martinelli inside the box on the left, the recipient responding with a powerful shot that stung the No1’s palms at his near post.
The holders made David Raya make a save when Vinícius Júnior curled a strike into the goalkeeper’s arms but Arsenal’s continuing comfort level tempted Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti to enact a triple substitution, including the introduction of 18-year-old striker Endrick.
Four minutes later, Arsenal had their fourth goal of the tie and Saka a measure of redemption courtesy of a slick move started by the forward, who set off inside the penalty area to collect Mikel Merino’s pass and chip a composed finish beyond Courtois following a beautiful exchange between Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard.
Vinícius Júnior’s eighth goal of the campaign proved a consolation for Real MadridUEFA via Getty Images
The hosts replied swiftly, Vinícius Júnior winning possession from William Saliba on the edge of the penalty area and hooking the ball past Raya, but Arsenal were rarely troubled during the closing stages, with Rice orchestrating play in midfield and Ødegaard stinging Courtois’ palms during added time.
Their triumph finished with a flourish, Martinelli finding the far corner of the net with a side-footed finish after Merino sent the forward clear as part of a rapid counterattack.
As it happened: Real Madrid 1-2 Arsenal (1-5 agg)
PlayStation® Player of the Match: Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Declan Rice celebrates with the Player of the Match silverwareUEFA via Getty Images
“The midfielder was the key player and a leader on the pitch, really helping his team defensively and using the ball with immense accuracy.”
UEFA Technical Observer Group
Graham Hunter, reporting from the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
While the exit of the tournament holders and 15-time record winners is a significant moment, there’s a need to recognise how Arsenal achieved this. They were properly lauded for three wonderful goals last Tuesday and the athleticism of their work. But this was a tactical and strategic masterclass in which the Gunners’ players – students of Señor Arteta, the professor – hit something like perfection. Compact lines vertically and horizontally, patience and persistence in their pressing, tackling and passing, wonderful self-confidence and, ultimately, a win to keep their club’s 100% record at Madrid. Candidates to be named Player of the Match just queued up and Arsenal’s raucous fans celebrated. This was an elite match in which the winners were wholly deserving of their spoils and, without question, buoyed for their chances in the semi-finals against Paris. What a prospect.
Reaction
Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach: “We’ve been happy so many times, but not today. We need to manage this feeling as well as we did when the trophies were coming and we were thrilled. The truth is that Arsenal have been better than us. I’ve told the players to keep their heads high. We’ve done better than some teams this season and in football you have to suffer. It’s impossible to be invincible.”
Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid goalkeeper: “When you save a penalty, the belief that you can [come back] grows. At the start of the match, we created a little bit of danger and the fans really pushed us on. But Arsenal are a team who are really organised and defend well – their wingers work back and their striker works back. At half-time, we really felt that if we scored first then the tie would be wide open. They scored, we equalised almost immediately, and we kept believing but we didn’t have that efficacy up front.”
Lucas Vázquez, Real Madrid captain: “That was a difficult match. We didn’t create the goal chances we wanted. We never let the game get completely out of our grasp but it was a stop-start affair, full of interruptions, and things didn’t seem to fall our way when they were 50-50. Maybe we lacked a little bit of clarity when we were on the ball, possibly we could have been more patient in moving possession from side to side and stretching Arsenal. They really are terrifically organised defensively. Just as when we are all responsible for winning, we are all responsible when we lose – it’s simply part of football.”
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta congratulates Myles Lewis-SkellyAFP via Getty Images
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal manager: “I probably haven’t felt prouder of my players than tonight – not just reaching the semi-finals, but in the circumstances, with the number of injuries we’ve had, how we played and how we managed this game. Rice was immense with his composure and how he led the team, turning the game in our favour. You need that type of player at this level. He stood out in a different way from last week. We prepared for bad moments, but when you miss a penalty and there’s chaos around you, you realise how difficult it is. I could go on and on about individuals but Bukayo stepped up today.”
Declan Rice, Arsenal midfielder: “It’s such a special night for this club – an historic night. We have an objective: we want to play the best teams and win the competition. There was a lot of talk coming here about [Real Madrid] coming back, because they’ve done it so many times before, but we had so much belief and confidence from that first game to come here and win the game. We knew we were going to suffer, but we knew we were going to win. We had it in our minds and now we’ve done it in real life.”
Myles Lewis-Skelly, Arsenal defender: “When you see [Madrid’s home] on TV, it’s a lot different to when you come here live. It was incredible. When I first walked out, it’s a lot, but I just tried to take in the moment and have fun. As a team, we knew it was going to be like this and we knew as long as we stuck together and kept backing each other through the highs and lows, we’d be fine.”
Key stats
- Arsenal reached the semi-finals for the first time since 2008/09.
- The Gunners have won seven and drawn one of their last eight Champions League matches, including victories in each of their last four games in the competition away from home.
- Seven of their last nine matches against Spanish teams have ended in victory (D1 L1).
- Their tally of 30 goals in the UEFA Champions League this season is their highest in a single edition of the competition.
- Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham equalled the record of 47 appearances in the competition for a player aged under 22, drawing level with former Blancos goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
- Luka Modrić has made 134 appearances in the UEFA Champions League proper for the club, surpassing Karim Benzema’s total in this game. Only Casillas (150) has made more.
- Their total of 41 appearances in the quarter-finals extends their own record.
Fantasy star performers
To follow
Line-ups
Real Madrid: Courtois; Lucas Vázquez (Endrick 61), Raúl Asencio (Modrić 74), Rüdiger, Alaba (Fran García); Valverde, Tchouaméni, Bellingham; Rodrygo (Ceballos 61), Mbappé (Brahim Díaz 75), Vinícius Júnior
Arsenal: Raya; Timber (White 90+5), Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Ødegaard, Partey, Rice (Zinchenko 90+5), Saka (Trossard 77), Merino, Martinelli (Tierney 90+5)
What’s next?
Arsenal will face Paris in the semi-finals.
