England’s Arsenal advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League this Tuesday after eliminating Porto of Portugal in the penalty shootout (4-2). The Premier League team had not reached this stage for 14 years, when the Frenchman Arsène Wenger was the coach.
The tie ended even after 180 minutes: in Portugal Porto won 1-0, and in London, with a goal from Leandro Trossard in the first half, Arsenal extended the definition until the penalty shootout, where they scored all their shots and David Raya stopped two from Wendell and Galeno.
Celebration of Kai Havertz’s goal with which Arsenal beat Brentford 2-1.
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England’s Arsenal advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League this Tuesday after eliminating Porto of Portugal in the penalty shootout (4-2). The Premier League team had not reached this stage for 14 years, when the Frenchman Arsène Wenger was the coach.
Mikel Arteta’s men suffered more than expected against Sergio Conceiçao’s team, who held their own and created a rock in defense that greatly worried the Gunners. Not even Trossard’s goal in the 41st minute, after an incredible pass by Martin Odegaard between three defenders, gave Arsenal peace of mind.
The Gunners were overwhelmed throughout the match, under the pressure of a Europe in which they always give in and in which they have always had unfinished business. For the first time in the entire season, Arsenal was seen without ideas and without danger up front, trusting in some individual spark like the one that almost gave them 2-0.
Arsenal
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Havertz fought a long ball with Pepe, the German knocked down the Portuguese and after Costa also fell, the ball was left open for Odegaard to score. Although the Norwegian went to the corner to celebrate the goal, Clément Turpin whistled and annulled the goal due to Havertz pushing Pepe. Arteta, who could not believe it in the stands, was reprimanded for his protests.
The nerves of having qualification so close, but also elimination, gripped the Londoners, who were barely able to count a couple more chances until the penalty shootout, a shot by Gabriel Jesús that he took with Costa’s twin and a save by the goalkeeper. a shot from outside the area by Saka.
Porto accepted the draw and the lottery of penalties, and Arsenal feared that last year’s scene would be repeated, when Sporting de Portugal, with Adan as the hero, eliminated them in the Europa League also on penalties.
Arsenal
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This time, another Spaniard dressed as a hero, Raya. Discussed in his early days at Arsenal, the Spaniard stopped Wendell’s second shot and Galeno’s fourth, while Odegaard, Havertz, Saka and Rice did not miss.
Arsenal, for the first time since 2010, reached the quarterfinals and will be in the pot on March 15 as leader of the Premier League and with a settled score in Europe.
With EFE.