Arsenal Back in the Champions League Semi-Finals After Stunning Win Over Real Madrid
For the first time since 2009, Arsenal are heading to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Mikel Arteta’s side wrapped it up in style, beating Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu and cruising through with a 5-1 win on aggregate.
Holding Strong in Madrid
Coming into the second leg with a comfortable three-goal cushion—thanks to Declan Rice’s heroics in the first leg—the Gunners knew they just needed to keep things tight in the early stages. Real Madrid came out with intent, pressing high and looking for an early goal, but Arsenal held firm.
Then came the first real twist. A VAR check awarded Arsenal a penalty after Raúl Asencio fouled Mikel Merino in the box. It was a golden chance to put the tie completely out of reach—but Thibaut Courtois read Bukayo Saka’s chipped effort perfectly and kept it out.
Just minutes later, Real Madrid thought they’d won a penalty of their own after Kylian Mbappé went down under pressure from Rice. After a lengthy review, the ref waved it off, much to Arsenal’s relief.
A Tense First Half
Despite plenty of possession, Real struggled to create anything clear-cut. Arsenal’s defense, led by a composed David Raya in goal, kept things under control. By halftime, the aggregate score remained 3-0, and Arteta’s men looked increasingly confident.
Saka Strikes, Real Responds
Needing something special to turn things around, Real pushed harder in the second half. Mbappé headed over the bar, and Vinícius Jr. forced a decent save from Raya—but it was Arsenal who struck first.
Just past the hour mark, a slick team move ended with Mikel Merino sliding a perfect pass to Saka, who made up for his earlier miss with a cool finish over Courtois. That goal all but sealed the deal for the Gunners.
To their credit, Real didn’t give up. Two minutes later, Vinícius pounced on a rare mistake by William Saliba to pull one back. But it was too little, too late.
Martinelli Puts the Cherry on Top
As the game wound down, Arsenal managed the pressure well. And in stoppage time, they added one more for good measure. Gabriel Martinelli broke away on the counter and slotted home to make it 2-1 on the night—and 5-1 across both legs.
What’s Next?
The win means Arsenal have now gone through in 19 of their last 21 UEFA ties after winning the first leg at home—a seriously impressive stat. For Real Madrid, it’s back to LaLiga duties as they try to claw back ground on Barcelona, starting with a must-win clash against Athletic Club this weekend.