Arsenal See Off Real Madrid in Dramatic Bernabeu Clash to Reach Champions League Semi-Finals
Bukayo Saka experienced a night of highs and lows as Arsenal battled past Real Madrid in a thrilling and incident-filled encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu to book their place in the Champions League semi-finals.
Carrying a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg at the Emirates, Arsenal arrived in the Spanish capital knowing a solid performance would be enough to seal their place in the last four. The Gunners were handed an early opportunity to tighten their grip on the tie when they were awarded a penalty just 13 minutes in. However, Saka’s attempt to outfox Thibaut Courtois with a chipped Panenka-style spot-kick backfired, as the Belgian keeper stayed upright and comfortably caught the weak effort.
The miss briefly shifted the momentum in Madrid’s favor, and the home crowd—buoyed by the miss and still hopeful of a historic comeback—erupted when their side was awarded a penalty just minutes later. But after a lengthy VAR review, the referee’s decision was overturned, with replays showing Kylian Mbappé had gone down far too easily under slight contact from Declan Rice.
Saka, to his credit, didn’t let the earlier miss define his night. Early in the second half, he made amends in spectacular style, latching onto a delightful reverse pass from Mikel Merino before lofting an exquisite chip over the advancing Courtois. The goal restored Arsenal’s control and all but ended any hopes of a Madrid revival.
However, just two minutes later, a lapse in concentration from William Saliba handed Real a lifeline. The French defender misplaced a back pass under little pressure, leaving VinÃcius Júnior with an empty net to reduce the deficit and momentarily reignite the home fans’ belief.
Real Madrid pressed forward in search of an unlikely miracle, but Arsenal remained composed and resilient. As the match drifted into stoppage time, Mikel Merino turned provider once more, launching a precise pass that sent Gabriel Martinelli racing through on goal. The Brazilian coolly slotted past Courtois to seal a memorable 2-1 win on the night and a 5-1 aggregate triumph.
This marks only the third time in Arsenal’s history that they’ve reached the Champions League semi-finals, where they will now face French giants Paris Saint-Germain in a mouth-watering last-four showdown. The defeat ended Real Madrid’s hopes of yet another European crown, while Arsenal continue their pursuit of a first-ever Champions League title.
