Real Madrid’s Champions League hopes came to a crashing halt at the Santiago Bernabéu, as Arsenal sealed a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory in their quarter-final clash.
Heading into the second leg with a daunting 3-0 deficit, many Madridistas believed a comeback was within reach. But despite a spirited effort, goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli sandwiched Vinicius Junior’s strike, resulting in a 2-1 loss on the night and elimination from the tournament.
Saka, who had a mixed evening, initially caused problems for David Alaba, earning the Austrian a yellow card. However, his Panenka penalty was comfortably saved by Courtois. He redeemed himself after the break, netting a fine goal to open the scoring. Vinicius responded to give Madrid a glimmer of hope, but Martinelli’s late goal killed any chance of a comeback.
One of the most talked-about moments came after the final whistle, when Saka approached Vinicius for a handshake. The Brazilian responded by requesting a shirt swap, which Saka accepted—highlighting the mutual respect between the two young stars.
Both players are cornerstones for their clubs and countries, known for their attacking flair and decisive goals. Interestingly, back in 2019 during Unai Emery’s tenure, Arsenal had shown interest in signing Vinicius Jr. However, Real Madrid opted to keep him — a decision that’s clearly paid off.
