Arsenal's 16 year wait to play in the UEFA Champions League semifinals is officially over, ousting the reigning champions Real Madrid with a 2-1 win on Wednesday that ensured they would come out of the quarterfinals with a 5-1 aggregate victory.
Despite the modest scoreline, the game had flashes of drama, first with Arsenal winning a penalty just 10 minutes in. Bukayo Saka's attempt was unconvincing and Thibaut Courtois was able to make the save with relative ease, keeping the game goalless for the time being. In the 23rd minute, the referee signaled for a Real Madrid penalty and showed Declan Rice a yellow card for a foul on Kylian Mbappe, but both the penalty and the yellow card were rescinded after a five minute VAR check.
A goal finally came in the 66th minute in a stellar team play from Arsenal, which ended with Saka successfully chipping Courtois for the finish. Real Madrid managed a response just one minute later with Vinicius Junior nicking the ball off William Saliba and quickly scoring, but the effort was too little, too late.
Elsewhere in Europe, Inter hung onto a tight lead and beat Bayern Munich 4-3 on aggregate after a 2-2 draw in Milan on Tuesday.
The semifinals will be played from April 29 to May 7, with the specific dates to be announced at a later time. All four will compete for a spot at the final in
Aggregate score: Real Madrid 1, Arsenal 5
90'+4 That's a wrap for Real Madrid, who suffer one final crushing blow in this tie courtesy of Martinelli. This play, once again, starts pretty far back but it's Martinelli who makes the long run down the left flank and sends the ball into the back of the net to officially book Arsenal's spot in the semifinals.
79' Vinicius is fouled on the edge of the penalty area and Real Madrid earn a freekick in a dangerous spot. Three players stand on the ball and it's Valverde who takes it in the end, but Rice steps up right away to block the ball and divert it out of the way. Another wasted opportunity for Real Madrid, another example of Arsenal's strong defensive shape steering them in the right direction.
76' Mbappe is on the ground for some time and receives some treatment but it's clear he can't go on. He comes off, as does Ascensio, while Diaz and Modric come on to finish out the game.
Aggregate score: Real Madrid 1, Arsenal 4
67' At long last, Real Madrid have their goal. Vinicius nicks the ball off of Saliba near the box and quickly puts the ball in the back of the net, leveling the score on the day. It's finally a sign of life from Real Madrid but they still need three goals to take this tie to extra time so there's still a question of if this is too little, too late.
Aggregate score: Real Madrid 0, Arsenal 4
66' A solid build-up play from Arsenal that starts pretty far back ends with a goal from Saka, who recovers just fine from the penalty he missed earlier to give his side the lead at the Bernbeu. There may have been hope that Real Madrid could pull off the comeback, but it feels very, very unlikely now.
61' Ancelotti makes three changes with about a half hour left on the clock -- Endrick, Ceballos and Garcia come on for Rodrygo, Vazquez and Alaba. Arsenal are still unchanged.
57' We're approaching the hour mark now and Real Madrid are really running out of time to complete a dramatic comeback. Here's a sign that it hasn't been a great day for them -- they have nine shots in total but six have come from outside the box, a signal that Arsenal's defensive shape has left them with few options in attack. Additionally, just one of those shots has been on target.
If you're still looking for an explainer on what exactly went down in the early stages of this game, especially Real Madrid's canceled penalty, CBS Sports' rules expert Christian Unkel popped into the UEFA Champions League Today halftime report to break it all down.
52' There's a little bit of tension near the benches as Bellingham goes in for the foul and Rice's leg is stuck between Bellingham's limbs. Their teammates start to gather but the incident doesn't really eescalate from there.
50' Real Madrid have had the momentum to start this second half but much as it was during the first, that has not translated to meaningful opportunities. Rodrygo had a promising look at the start of this second half but Arsenal's defensive shape has held well, much as it did in the first leg.
Aggregate score: Real Madrid 0, Arsenal 3
This game got off to a dramatic start with two penalty calls and no goals but things hit a holding pattern after Real Madrid's penalty was canceled just before the half-hour mark, a game state that very much favors Arsenal. All things considered, the visitors will be happy with how the first half played out, which at this point feel like 45 minutes of missed opportunities for the reigning champions.
45'+6 Arsenal have a nice moment of buildup play that ends with Martinelli getting near goal on the left side, forcing another save out of Courtois.
43' Meaningful goalscoring chances have been few and far between since the referee canceled Real Madrid's penalty, even if both teams have ventured towards goal in the hopes of doing some damage. Real Madrid did get close, though, with Rudiger taking a stab from close range. There was a deflection off an Arsenal player, though, so the ball went out for a corner that the hosts could do little with.
28' About five minutes after the referee pointed to the spot, he cancels the penalty he awarded to Real Madrid. Officiall word from UEFA's website is that Rice "did not commit a foul on the opponent."
23' Now the referee points to the spot at the other end, calling a foul by Rice on Mbappe on a Real Madrid freekick and awarding the hosts a penalty. Rice and his teammates are pleading with the referee, who has now made a second controversial call to start this game. A VAR check is underway and after a few minutes, the referee himself heads to the monitor.
20' The momentum has been with Real Madrid since Courtois saved Saka's penalty and the hosts have been able to create some dangerous moments that have really tested Arsenal's defense. The latest comes from Bellingham, whose cross from the left flank across goal could have caused some real trouble but he did not have a teammate around to finish the job that time.
13' Saka steps up but the hit does not have enough height or pace, so Courtois -- who stands at 6'7" -- is able to make the stop and keep today's scoreline at 0-0. That will be a pivotal moment for Real Madrid today, no doubt, and now Arsenal have to find a way to ensure that setback will not shatter their confidence on such a big stage.
10' The referee makes his way to the monitor to check a foul from a few minutes ago, when Arsenal had a corner that Rice took. He doesn't take very long to decide that Ascensio's foul on Merino is enough to warrant a penalty and now Arsenal have a major opportunity to put the tie out of reach for Real Madrid. Saka to take.
8' Defending may be Arsenal's priority at the Bernabeu today, but they just mustered up a promising attacking opportunity. The chance ends with Saka sending the ball wide of the net but his nice strike isn't far off. A few moments later, he takes another hit inside the box and forces a save out of Courtois.
3' Real Madrid act quick -- again, out of necessity because of the 3-0 deficit -- and Mbappe manageds to pop the ball into the back of the net. The offside flag immediately comes up but the energy in the stadium is obvious -- the hosts are doing all they can to overcome the deficit, and the crowd is pitching in with cheers for the hosts and jeers for the visitors. Arsenal, for their part, have already begun the time-wasting effort, an unusual sight so early in any game.
Aggregate score: Real Madrid 0, Arsenal 3
The game is officially underway at Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, where Real Madrid have to mount a massive comeback in order to stay in the competition. Courtois has already saved Saka's penalty to keep the score 0-0 in the second leg, while Real Madrid had a penalty canceled after a five minute check.
Arsenal may be the less experienced team in today's showdown but if the last few years under Mikel Arteta's leadership is anything to go by, the well-organized defense he has crafted can get the job done. James Benge argues that the Gunners' defensive structure means the comeback will be too tall a task for Real Madrid, with last week's showing offering a perfect example.
In ordinary circumstances, losing the first leg 3-0 is usually a death knell for a team's hopes in the Champions League, but Real Madrid are no ordinary team. As the so-called comeback kings, they come with a certain level of confidence that's unlike any other club in Europe, the type of confidence that somehow puts the onus on Arsenal to live up to the hype in unfamiliar circumstances. Jamie Carragher dives into the intimidation factor of Real Madrid at home during the UEFA Champions League Today pre-game show, and you can watch the clip below.
The words "Real Madrid" and "remontada" have been joined at the hip since last week's 3-0 loss at Arsenal, something that has not been lost on the players. Here's Jude Bellingham from Tuesday's pre-match press conference on how they have prepared to mount an epic comeback -- and why this is still, in a way, a situation that might favor Real Madrid.
Manager Mikel Arteta goes with the same exact lineup from last week's 3-0 win over Real Madrid including Thomas Partey, who he claimed was injured over the last few days but makes the start.
Arsenal starting XI: David Raya, Jurian Timber, William Saliba, Jakub Kiwior, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Thomas Partey, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Mikel Merino
Substitutes: Neto, Tommy Setford, Kieran Tierney, Ben White, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Michel Rosiak, Jack Henry-Francis, Leandro Trossard, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, Jimi Gower, Raheem Sterling, Ethan Nwaneri
Carlo Ancelotti calls upon his stars for today's big game while also making two changes to the team that started at Arsenal, one forced by the red card Eduardo Camavinga picked up in North London last week. Here's a look at Real Madrid's lineup.
Real Madrid starting XI: Thibaut Courtois, Lucas Vazquez, Raul Ascensio, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe
Substitutes: Fran Gonzalez, Sergio Mestre, Luka Modric, Arda Guler, Endrick, Jesus Vellejo, Dani Ceballos, Fran Garcia, Brahim Diaz
There's one final batch of Champions League action before the semifinals, and we have quite a headlining act ahead of us. Real Madrid's status as perennial favorites has taken some hits over the course of the Champions League campaign but no setback has been as big as last week's, which sees them enter today's second leg a 3-0 deficit. There's an argument to be made that if anyone can mount the comeback and enjoy their own "remontada," it's the comeback kings themselves but turning around a 3-0 deficit against a talented Arsenal side is easier said than done.
Stick around for buildup to the big game, as well as updates once the match kicks off.
