ARSENAL CRUISE PAST REAL MADRID TO REACH SEMIS – They will face Paris St Germain in their first Champions League semi-final since 2009
Arsenal snuffed out any chance of a famous Real Madrid comeback to reach the Champions League semi-finals after a 2-1 victory in the Bernabeu Stadium completed a 5-1 aggregate.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said winning at the Bernabeu was another “massive step” and it was a night to be proud of the team and the club, and that he called his mentor Pep Guardiola during the morning adding he wouldn’t not be where he is now if it wasn’t for him.
Holders and 15-times winners Real never looked like clawing back a 3-0 deficit from last week’s quarter-final first leg and when Bukayo Saka scored for the visitors in the 65th minute their fate was effectively sealed.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said they need to take the defeat and handle well the sad moments of the game to focus in the rest of the season, admitting Arsenal was a superior team in the whole tie.
Vinicius Junior seized on a rare defensive slip a couple of minutes later to rouse the home crowd, but it proved too little too late as Carlo Ancelotti’s side exited in feeble fashion.
Arsenal’s superiority over the two legs was underlined in stoppage time as Gabriel Martinelli burst through to score.
They will face Paris St Germain in their first Champions League semi-final since 2009.
