Arsenal booked their place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2006 with a historic 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, sealing a commanding 5-1 aggregate triumph.
Despite missing a first-half penalty, Bukayo Saka redeemed himself by chipping Arsenal into a 4-0 aggregate lead after 64 minutes. The holders responded instantly through Vinícius Júnior, who capitalized on a William Saliba error to offer Real Madrid a glimmer of hope. However, Arsenal weathered the storm, maintaining their composure before Gabriel Martinelli added a late second goal on the night to confirm a famous win.
The match wasn’t without controversy. Saka’s poorly executed Panenka penalty was easily saved by Thibaut Courtois after Mikel Merino was fouled following a corner. Later, Real Madrid thought they had a penalty when Kylian Mbappé went down under pressure from Declan Rice, but after a lengthy VAR review, the initial decision was overturned.
This victory marks Arsenal as the first English team to win twice at the Bernabéu, adding another significant milestone to Mikel Arteta’s tenure. Having dominated the first leg 3-0 at the Emirates, largely thanks to Rice’s set-piece prowess, Arsenal demonstrated maturity and resilience in Madrid to see off the 15-time European champions.
The Gunners now advance to face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals, pitting two clubs seeking their first-ever Champions League title against each other. For Arsenal, reaching this stage represents a major step forward in their project under Arteta, proving their ability to compete with Europe’s elite after years away from the competition’s latter stages.
