Arsenal crush Real Madrid comeback dreams to seal Champions League semi-final spot

MADRID: Arsenal ended any hopes of a Real Madrid resurrection with a commanding 2-1 victory at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night, sealing a 5-1 aggregate triumph to book their place in the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2009.

Facing a 3-0 deficit from the first leg, the 15-time European champions were expected to mount a trademark comeback. But Mikel Arteta’s side delivered a mature, dominant performance in hostile territory to silence the Spanish giants.

Bukayo Saka struck in the 65th minute to effectively end the tie before Vinicius Junior briefly ignited the home crowd with a response two minutes later. However, it was Arsenal who had the final say—Gabriel Martinelli broke away in stoppage time to cap a historic night.

“There was a lot of talk about them coming back from the dead,” said Declan Rice, whose two stunning free kicks in the first leg set the tone. “But we believed. We came here to win—and we did.”

Real Madrid, so often the masters of European drama, were flat and uninspired, unable to match Arsenal’s energy, organisation, or belief. Carlo Ancelotti’s side exit the tournament with little fanfare, while Arsenal march on to face PSG in the final four.