Upset by FC Porto, Arsenal had to go through the penalty shootout to eliminate FC Porto (0-1, 1-0, 4-2 TAB). The Gunners reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2010.
It was a long evening, but the main thing is achieved for Arsenal. After 120 minutes of struggling against the FC Porto defense, the Gunners validated their qualification for the quarter-finals of the Champions League at the end of the penalty shootout (0-1, 1-0, 4 -2 TAB).
After their defeat in the first leg in Portugal, Mikel Arteta’s men had made an important part of the progress at the end of the first period by returning to level terms across the two matches. With the inevitable Martin Odegaard at the creation, it was Leandro Trossard who deceived the excellent Diogo Costa (1-0, 41st).
The problem is that the rest of the evening was just as tense at the Emirates. The Canonniers, irresistible for several weeks in the Premier League, and even leaders of the ranking, struggled to endanger the defense put in place by Sergio Conceiçao, around an unalterable Pepe (41 years old).
First since 2010 for Arsenal
While the Portuguese remained a potential threat on the counterattack, Arsenal struggled to appear truly dangerous, even if Odegaard thought he would liberate his team by scoring in the empty goal (67th), until Clément Turpin indicated a foul by Kai Havertz on Diogo Costa (67th). After a great opportunity for Gabriel Jesus (83rd), we headed to extra time, then to the first penalty shootout in the Champions League since the Atlético-Real final in 2016.
It was David Raya who turned into a hero, repelling two strikes from the Dragoes. After becoming a team that matters in England again, Arsenal is back among the European elite, and the quarter-finals of the C1 for the first time since 2010. Pepe was then a young player of 27 years old.
