UEFA Champions League: Arsenal Gun Down Defending Champions Real Madrid
“Real Madrid, the team of dreams!” These famous words of Peter Drury still continue to ring in the ears of the football fans. But that was not the case to be. It was the Gunners who battered the Madrid Giants on both legs of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals to storm their way into the last 4 of the tournament.
Los Blancos headed into the game on the back of a 3-0 drubbing in the first leg at Emirates. Though the job was tough, there was still alingering feeling that the Whites would turn it around at their home turf. And why would they not believe it? They have done it countless times in the past. Remember Drury’s lines? “They prayed for miracles, and miracles have arrived.”
Arsenal Dismantle Real Madrid in UCL Quarterfinals
The scoreboard after the final whistle on the first leg read 3-0 in favor of Arsenal. A brace from midfielder Declan Rice and a late goal from Mikel Moreno put the Gunners ahead in the tie. The Whites were handed a further blow with Eduardo Camavinga getting a red card in the dying minutes of the game.
The stage was set for a thrilling clash as both sides locked horns again at the iconic Santiago Bernabéu. But fate had a different story written on the cards. Raul Asencio fouled Mikel Moreno in the 11th minute of the game as the visitors were handed an early penalty. Up stepped Bukayo Saka, who wanted to go fancy. He dinked the ball on the left corner, exactly where Thibaut Courtois had jumped and parried the ball to safety. It looked like nothing was still lost for the 15-time UCL champs.
The game carried on with both sides ready to outdo the other. The 27th minute mark saw a scuffle inside the box as Kylian Mbappe went down way too easily inside the box after being hugged from the back by Declan Rice. The referee decided to point to the spot, but after a long wait of VAR checks for penalty and offside, the penalty was cancelled.
Arsenal Dismantle Real Madrid in UCL Quarterfinals
Past the hour mark, we saw two quick goals. Bukayo Saka made amends for his penalty miss with a clever finish from inside the box. Arsenal led the tie 4-0. But 2 minutes later, Real Madrid parried to bring in the equalizer. Vinicius Jr., with a thunderous shot inside the box, brought the game to parity.
But it was an uphill task even for this Galáctico side. This mountain couldn’t be climbed after all. In the dying minutes of the match, the tie was shut down with another goal from the visitors. A brilliant goal from Gabriel Martinelli saw the tie ending 5-1 in aggregate for the London Reds. The defending champions were knocked out by Mikel Arteta’s side.
List of UCL Winners Over the Last 10 Years
| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Final Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Real Madrid | Borussia Dortmund | 2–0 | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 2022–23 | Manchester City | Inter Milan | 1–0 | Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul |
| 2021–22 | Real Madrid | Liverpool | 1–0 | Stade de France, Paris |
| 2020–21 | Chelsea | Manchester City | 1–0 | Estádio do Dragão, Porto |
| 2019–20 | Bayern Munich | Paris Saint-Germain | 1–0 | Estádio da Luz, Lisbon |
| 2018–19 | Liverpool | Tottenham Hotspur | 2–0 | Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid |
| 2017–18 | Real Madrid | Liverpool | 3–1 | NSC Olimpiyskiy, Kyiv |
| 2016–17 | Real Madrid | Juventus | 4–1 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff |
| 2015–16 | Real Madrid | Atlético Madrid | 1–1 (5–3 pens) | San Siro, Milan |
| 2014–15 | Barcelona | Juventus | 3–1 | Olympiastadion, Berlin |
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