For the first time since 2009, Arsenal advanced to the UEFA Champions League semifinals after defeating Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu to complete a 5-1 aggregate triumph.
Bukayo Saka missed an early penalty shot as Thibaut Courtois stopped his Panenka effort, but Saka made amends by scoring the first goal in the 65th minute. Soon after, Vinícius Jr. scored for Madrid by taking advantage of a defensive blunder. But Gabriel Martinelli’s goal in stoppage time gave Arsenal the victory.
One of the game’s key moments came when Real Madrid’s penalty was ruled invalid following a five-minute VAR review. UEFA ruled that there was not enough contact to justify the infraction.
Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid admitted that Arsenal was better, while Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, praised the performance as one of the finest evenings of his career. In the semifinals, the Gunners will play Paris Saint-Germain.
