Arsenal: Real Madrid did everything they could at the Santiago Bernabeu to stop their opponents. They’ve made many comebacks there before and hoped to do it again. The stadium was ready, the fans were loud, and the players were focused. But sometimes, even when everything is in place, things don’t go your way. Despite all the effort, Real Madrid’s 11 players couldn’t take advantage.
This time, it was Arsenal who came out on top. They beat Real Madrid 2-1, knocking them out of the Champions League. It’s the first time since 2020 that Real hasn’t reached the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Arsenal are back in the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in 16 years and will now face PSG.
Real Madrid had to do something big after losing 3-0 in the first leg. Early in the match, they thought they had a goal when Kylian Mbappé scored from Vinicius Jr.’s cross, but it was ruled offside. Arsenal’s defense held strong and didn’t allow many more chances in the first half.
The first half was full of drama. Two penalties were given. Arsenal got the first one after Raul Asensio fouled Mikel Merino in the box. But Bukayo Saka’s panenka was saved easily by Thibaut Courtois.
Then, Real Madrid got a penalty too. Declan Rice pulled Mbappé’s shirt in the box, and the referee pointed to the spot and gave Rice a yellow card. But after a VAR check, it turned out Rodrigo was offside before the foul happened. So the penalty and yellow card were canceled.
Even though the first half was full of action, no goals were scored. Real Madrid still needed four goals. In the 61st minute, their coach Carlo Ancelotti made three substitutions at once. But instead of helping, Real Madrid ended up conceding a goal. Bukayo Saka scored, making it 4-0 for Arsenal across both matches.
Real Madrid needed a quick response, and they got it within two minutes. William Saliba was a bit slow receiving a pass from David Raya, and Vinicius Junior took advantage by stealing the ball. He scored, making it 4-1 on aggregate, giving Real some hope. But they couldn’t score again.
As the clock ticked down, Real Madrid kept attacking more. But Arsenal’s defense was incredibly strong, like a wall. In extra time, Arsenal counterattacked while Real’s defense was wide open. Gabriel Martinelli took his chance and scored, making it 5-1 on aggregate.