Real Madrid's luck fails them against Arsenal in the 1:2 defeat
In the thrilling return leg of the Champions League quarter-final between Real Madrid and Arsenal, it was the Gunners who emerged victorious, securing their spot in the semifinals.
The first leg had seen Arsenal dominate with a 3-0 win at the Emirates, thanks to standout performances from Declan Rice, who scored two direct free-kicks, and Mikel Merino, who added a third goal. This left Real Madrid with a daunting task of overturning a three-goal deficit at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The second leg match, while details are scarce, was described as a tense affair. Real Madrid had possession, but couldn't create any momentum. The game took a turn when star player Kylian Mbappé exited due to an injury at the 73rd minute, a blow to the morale of the home team.
The momentum seemed to shift in Arsenal's favour when, in the 67th minute, a curious goal equalized the score. A pass from Arsenal's Raya to Saliba led to a turnover, and Vinicius capitalized on the error to score for Real Madrid.
However, the game remained tight with few goal chances on both sides. The tension built as the minutes ticked away, until stoppage time, when Gabriel Martinelli scored the winning goal for Arsenal, securing their place in the semifinals.
Arsenal had taken the lead earlier in the match, when at the 61st minute, Bukayo Saka scored a beautiful goal, assisted by Merino. The goal proved to be the decisive moment in the tie, as Arsenal held on to their lead to secure their victory.
In the end, it was Arsenal's strong performance in the first leg, combined with their defensive strength and clinical finishing, that proved to be the deciding factor in the tie. The Gunners celebrated their hard-earned victory, advancing to the semifinals of the Champions League that season.
- Despite a tense second leg match where Real Madrid struggled to create momentum and lost star player Kylian Mbappé to injury, they couldn't overcome the 3-0 deficit from the premier-league, as the European-leagues' top-tier, champions-league quarter-final saw Arsenal securing a spot in the semifinals with a 4-3 aggregate victory.
- Arsenal's performance in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, where they dominated with a 3-0 win at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to impressive showings from Declan Rice and Mikel Merino, proved crucial in their eventual triumph over Real Madrid in the European-leagues' competition.
- The premier-league team, Real Madrid, fought valiantly in the Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal, but even a thrilling return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, which saw Vinicius score a goal from an Arsenal error, wasn't enough to surmount the three-goal deficit set in the first leg, with Bukayo Saka's winning goal in the 61st minute of the second leg securing Arsenal's semi-final spot in the European-leagues' tournament.
