Arsenal won their ticket to the semi-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday, eliminating Sporting Portugal after the first leg (1-0 victory) and second leg (0-0). The Gunners have done the minimum service but will take part in the last four of the European competition.
Published on: 04/15/2026 - 11:03 p.m. Modified on: 04/15/2026 - 11:21 p.m.
Arsenal in the semi-final. The Gunners reached the last four of the Champions League for the second year in a row, an unprecedented performance for the English club, after containing Sporting (0-0) on Wednesday April 15, a week after their 1-0 victory in Lisbon.
The current leader of the Premier League will face Antoine Griezmann's Atlético Madrid in the next round to try to reach the final of the premier club competition in Europe, twenty years after its one and only, lost against FC Barcelona in 2006. The current leader of the Premier League had outclassed the Colchoneros (4-0) in October at home in the league phase, but the intoxication of the summits and the current form of Arsenal make the reunion quite uncertain.
On Wednesday, the Gunners did not pull out all the stops, nor did they master everything against the Portuguese from Sporting, but they provided the minimum service to obtain the much hoped for and awaited ticket, given their ultra-favorite status.
Mikel Arteta's team relied on Kai Havertz's goal scored in added time last week in Lisbon to get rid of the eye-catching Lions, who made the Emirates tremble until the last second with a failed shot into the side net.
European qualification will perhaps give comfort and momentum to the Spanish coach and his players, battered domestically after three defeats in a row in the League Cup, FA Cup and Premier League. It had become a necessity before the perilous trip to Manchester City on Sunday, in what looks like a “final” for the league title.
Arsenal minimalist and semi-finalist
With the advantage gained in the quarter-final first leg (1-0), Arsenal did not seek to thrill the return match, nor their supporters, during a rather insipid first period.
The Gunners wasted several set pieces, despite their specialty, they largely underused center forward Viktor Gyökeres, deprived of ammunition, and did not use the speed of the wingers, Gabriel Martinelli on the left and Noni Madueke on the right.
Behind, the best defense in the Premier League made approximations, even quite unusual errors, like these restarts from William Saliba (18th) and David Raya (40th), without consequence.
The Lions of Sporting were encouraged by this scenario and they almost plunged the Emirates into a stupor, just before half-time, when Geny Catamo sent a recovery to Raya's right post (43rd).
A curling shot from Maximiliano Araujo, narrowly missed (48th), also reminded the Gunners that their qualification was hanging by a thread.
They then raised the tone and the rhythm, with shots from Martinelli (56th) and Madueke (57th) on either side of the replacement of Gyökeres, transparent against his former club, by Havertz.
The entry of the young home striker, Max Dowman (16), woke up the stadium a little, which also roared when Leandro Trossard's header was pushed back by a post (84th).
Sporting demanded a penalty on a supposed push from Cristhian Mosquera behind the back of Maximiliano Araujo, but referee François Letexier did not grant it (65th). And the last firecracker, by Joao Simoes (90th + 5) just before the final whistle, barely missed.
Arsenal are relieved, and qualified.
With AFP
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