Arsenal humble Real Madrid 5-2 on aggregate to reach Champions League semi-finals

Bukayo Saka scored one goal and missed a penalty as Arsenal held off Real Madrid in a dramatic night at the Bernabeu to seal a place in the Champions League semi-finals.

With a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg, Arsenal arrived in Madrid knowing they had work to do to silence the home crowd.

They were handed an early opportunity when awarded a 13th-minute penalty, but Saka’s chipped attempt was comfortably saved by Thibaut Courtois.

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According to the BBC Sports, the England winger, however, redeemed himself in the second half with a sublime chipped finish over Courtois after a clever through ball from Mikel Merino, effectively ending Real’s hopes of a comeback.

Just two minutes later, Real pulled one back following a defensive blunder by William Saliba, who handed Vinicius Junior an open goal.

But the hosts failed to build on that momentum.

Gabriel Martinelli added gloss to Arsenal’s night with a stoppage-time strike, again assisted by Merino, to seal a 2-1 win on the night and 5-1 on aggregate.

Arsenal, now into just their third Champions League semi-final, will face Paris Saint-Germain in the next round.

The Gunners previously beat PSG 2-0 in the group stage, but Luis Enrique’s side have shown marked improvement since then.

Earlier in the game, Madrid fans thought they had a lifeline when awarded a penalty after Kylian Mbappe went down under light contact from Declan Rice. However, VAR intervened and the decision was overturned.

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