Arsenal reach first UEFA Champions League semifinal in 16 years; To face French side PSG

* Saka had missed a first-half penalty that might have set up their passage sooner, that could have felt like a catastrophe then amidst the noise of the lion’s den into which they had stepped, but he was not sunk, nor scared

* None of them were: not by the legend, the atmosphere, the history, not by the players before them

* There was none of the fatalism or the fear that left so many others crumbled and fallen here, none of Madrid’s mystique

* Instead, the Bernabéu spell was broken, Real Madrid eliminated and deservedly so

By Thomas Schlachter, CNN & Sid Lowe, The Guardian

Arsenal progressed to the UEFA Champions League semifinals after an action-packed night of soccer on Wednesday overcoming the challenge of Real Madrid while Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich to seal the club’s spots in the next round of the tournament.

The semifinal fixtures are now confirmed, with Arsenal to face French side Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and Barcelona taking on the Italian giants Inter Milan with a coveted spot in the final up for grabs.

Arsenal and PSG seek their first-ever Champions League trophy, with the Gunners buoyed by knocking out the reigning Champions League winners.

Arsenal took a three-goal lead to the Santiago Bernabéu ahead of the second leg, but Real Madrid has become known for producing miracles in the Champions League.

The traveling side would have been wary of Madrid’s storied success in the competition, knowing an early goal for either team would be crucial.

Arsenal was gifted with an early chance after being awarded a penalty just 10 minutes into the match. Bukayo Saka stepped up for the Gunners but saw his dinked spot kick saved by Thibaut Courtois.

Less than 15 minutes later, it looked as if Arsenal would be punished for the wasted opportunity. Real Madrid was given a penalty when star striker Kylian Mbappé fell to the floor in the Arsenal box. The decision, however, was overturned following a lengthy VAR check.

The game remained cagey with neither side looking to give up an inch, until in the 65th minute, when Saka made amends for his earlier miss.

After a flowing move from Mikel Arteta’s side, Saka was played through one-on-one by makeshift striker Mikel Merino. Arsenal’s star man remained composed and sat down Courtois in the Madrid goal with a delicately executed chip.

All involved with Arsenal would have breathed a huge sigh of relief after going 4-0 up on aggregate, but this sense of relief was short-lived.

Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior leveled the score on the night just minutes after the Arsenal opener. The Brazilian was gifted the chance to score into an empty net after a mistake from Arsenal defender William Saliba.

It proved to be too little, too late, however, and to rub salt in the Real Madrid wounds, Gabriel Martinelli raced through on goal in added time and confidently finished past Courtois.

Arsenal ended up winning 2-1 on the night and 5-1 across the two legs to seal its spot in the Champions League semifinal — its first since 2009.

When at last ‘The Never Ending Story’ reached its final page, there was Bukayo Saka standing at the north end of the Santiago Bernabéu shrugging a familiar shrug that says: how about that, then?

And that was pretty special, Arsenal’s own story written as Mikel Arteta had asked and given a scene they will remember for a long time, a coming of age.

The goal that finally confirmed that they were heading into their third European Cup semi-final was a portrait of the way Arsenal had played here: an exercise in patience, control, and maturity.

Precision, timing and courage, too. Saka had missed a first-half penalty that might have set up their passage sooner, that could have felt like a catastrophe then amidst the noise of the lion’s den into which they had stepped, but he was not sunk, nor scared.

None of them were: not by the legend, the atmosphere, the history, not by the players before them. There was none of the fatalism or the fear that left so many others crumbled and fallen here, none of Madrid’s mystique. Instead, the Bernabéu spell was broken, Real Madrid eliminated and deservedly so.

Mikel Arteta joked that he could have given Bukayo Saka a “clip round the ear” after his dinked that penalty was saved by Thibaut Courtois, but the Arsenal manager described the winger as “incredible” for the way he recovered to score the goal that helped to send the Gunners into the semi-finals.

Arteta described Arsenal’s 2-1 victory at the Bernabue as probably the proudest moment in his career, and announced “the feeling we have is a reality” and that his team are “ready to compete against anybody” after going through 5-1 on aggregate. He also revealed that he called Pep Guardiola on the morning of the game to thank him for being an inspiration as a player and a coach and giving him the opportunity that led to him coaching here for the first time.

Asked if he had ever felt prouder of his players, Arteta replied: “Probably not, not only because we’re in the semi-final but the manner we did it. Because of the circumstances, the amount of injuries. It shows the character of this team, this club. This is another massive step for us.”

Arteta admitted it only took a couple of minutes for him to realise that this was a stadium where anything could happen, but his players had shown the maturity to manage the difficult moments and find a way past Madrid. None more so than when Saka missed a first-half penalty.

“It could have been a turning point emotionally in the game but the way he handles it, the personality, at his age playing in this stadium for the first time was incredible,” Arteta said.

“I could have given him a clip round the ear. But he decided what is best: he had the courage to take it, that’s what he thought was best. I was more concerned about the emotional part of it [than the miss itself].

“Then with the penalty [for Madrid] that they ruled out. I felt then that the game might be going somewhere we didn’t want. You come here and see it live and you realise how difficult it is here, how anything can happen.

“They can drive you into scenarios that are very difficult. But we have done it and we did it in a very clever way. We were very clear. The biggest pride is when I look at my players and I talk to them and I can see how convinced they feel.”

Saka said: “We showed that we can play in Europe and beat one of the best teams in the world, home and away. I’m very proud of this team. Tonight was a big statement.”

Elsewhere, Inter Milan managed to seal a tight 4-3 aggregate win against Bayern Munich. The Italian side was leading 2-1 after the first leg and would have felt confident about holding on to its lead at home.

Bayern Munich, however, was keen to upset the odds and leveled the aggregate score when Harry Kane expertly scored from a tight angle early in the second half.

But Inter Milan bounced back, and quickly. Lautaro Martínez scored for Inter just six minutes after Kane’s opener before Benjamin Pavard gave the home side the lead on the night just three minutes after Martínez’s equalizer.

Eric Dier gave Bayern Munich renewed hope when he scored with 15 minutes left in the tie, but the Italian side was able to hold on to its slender lead.

Barcelona reached the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time in six years, despite being outplayed and comfortably beaten 3-1 by Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

Hansi Flick’s side is looking to win a first Champions League title in 10 years – back when Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar famously led the team’s attack.—Edited by Maravi Express