Arsenal set up Real UCL quarter-final
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LONDON:
Arsenal drew 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday to complete an emphatic 9-3 aggregate win and set up a Champions League quarter-final against holders Real Madrid.
The Gunners demolished the Dutch champions 7-1 in the Netherlands last week, making the second leg at the Emirates a formality.
Arsenal, who made seven changes from Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United, were quickly out of the blocks, scoring in the sixth minute through Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Croatian veteran Ivan Perisic pulled PSV level on the night with a fine finish past the sprawling David Raya but midfielder Declan Rice headed Arsenal back in front.
PSV, seeking to salvage pride after last week’s humiliation, equalised with 20 minutes to go with a well-taken goal from Couhaib Driouech.
Arsenal, who have never been crowned European champions, will play 15-time winners Real Madrid in the last eight after Carlo Ancelotti’s side squeaked past Atletico Madrid on penalties following a 2-2 draw on aggregate.
The two sides have met just twice previously, with Arsenal winning 1-0 on aggregate in the round of 16 in the 2005/06 season.
Arteta’s men, whose Premier League challenge has fizzled out in recent weeks, were quickly in the driving seat in the second leg against PSV on Wednesday.
Raheem Sterling received the ball on the right of the Arsenal attack and found his former Manchester City team-mate Zinchenko, who glided along the 18-yard box before unleashing a superb left-footed shot past Walter Benitez.
Former Tottenham player Perisic levelled in the 18th minute and Raya had to be alert to produce a fingertip save from the lively Driouech moments later.
But the home side were back in front in the 37th minute
Sterling, who has been out of favour under Arteta despite his lack of forward options, charged down the right and produced a teasing cross that Rice headed home.
Real Madrid show
Real Madrid produced a gritty display to reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-2 win on penalties against rivals Atletico Madrid, following a 1-0 defeat after extra time on Wednesday.
Diego Simeone’s side outplayed the record 15-time champions at the Metropolitano stadium for much of the game, but Madrid have never been eliminated by Atletico in the competition and they battled hard after Conor Gallagher’s first-minute opener to secure a 2-2 aggregate draw.
Thibaut Courtois made several saves to thwart Julian Alvarez and Vinicius Junior blazed a penalty high and wide for Madrid.
In the shoot-out Alvarez scored for Atletico but his effort was controversially ruled out for seeming to touch the ball twice because of a slip as he shot.
“The ball didn’t move,” complained Simeone. “I want to believe they saw he touched it (twice).”
Marcos Llorente also missed for Atletico and Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger struck the winner for the reigning champions, who will face Arsenal in the last eight.
“I had to pick the coldest players possible (for penalties),” said Real coach Carlo Ancelotti.
“I think it’s a lottery still, a toss-up, today it came in for us — Atletico go out with their heads held high because they played at a good level.”
Atletico played with caution in the first leg despite trailing, willing to take a single goal deficit back to the fiery Metropolitano stadium, where they believed they could really turn the heat up on their arch-rivals.
Real Madrid knocked Atletico out in the 2017 semi-finals in the final European game at the Vicente Calderon, with this the first time the derby has been played at Atletico’s new home in the Champions League.
After defeats by Madrid in the 2014 and 2016 finals, the latter on penalties, and elimination on every other occasion the teams have met in the competition, Atletico were desperate to change the narrative, but came up fractionally short.
“I think we played a great match, but unfortunately we lacked a bit of luck,” Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak told Movistar.
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