Arsenal vs FC Porto. UEFA Champions League First Knockout Round.
Emirates StadiumAttendance60,257.
1-1
Arsenal win 4-2 on penalties.
Match report as Arsenal beat Porto 4-2 on penalties to make the Champions League quarter-finals; last-16 tie had ended 1-1 on aggregate after Leandro Trossard's first-half strike saw Gunners beat Portuguese side 1-0 in return leg at the Emirates
Wednesday 13 March 2024 10:42, UK
David Raya was the hero, saving two spot-kicks as Arsenal beat Porto 4-2 on penalties to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals after their last-16 tie ended 1-1 on aggregate.
Leandro Trossard, in for the injured Gabriel Martinelli on the left-hand side of Arsenal's attack, levelled the tie up four minutes before half-time with a low finish into the far corner after being found by Martin Odegaard's delicious, disguised pass.
However, after Odegaard saw an effort controversially ruled out by referee Clement Turpin midway through the second half, the game went into extra-time and then to penalties.
And it was Raya who proved the home side's match winner after saving two Porto penalties, while the hosts were perfect from the spot to advance to the last eight of Europe's premier club competition for the first time since 2010.
Arsenal headed into the return leg needing to overturn a first-leg deficit after a 1-0 defeat in Porto three weeks ago, a feat they last managed in the Champions League 14 years ago against the same opponents. That was also the last occasion the north London side reached the last eight of the competition.
And with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta having asked the home fans to bring the noise at the Emirates, the Gunners began the second leg fast in search of a nerve-reducing opener to level the tie on aggregate.
That did not come, though, and as half-time approached, the hosts were huffing and puffing in search of a breakthrough, which finally came on 41 minutes after a lovely passing move down the left, with the skipper inevitably involved.
It was Odegaard's brilliant defence-splitting pass that opened up the visitors' defence, although Trossard still had a lot of work to do to beat Diogo Costa from an acute angle.
The strike settled home nerves, but the decisive second goal never came as the Portuguese side managed to frustrate their hosts, although Arsenal will point to a contentious call from the French referee midway through the second half which denied them the aggregate lead.
Kai Havertz and Pepe battled for a ball over the top, and as Costa came out to clear the ball then broke kindly to the unmarked Odegaard, who simply chipped home into an unguarded net from the edge of the area, only for Havertz to be penalised for an earlier shirt pull on Pepe.
Thereafter, the atmosphere got hotter and hotter, with both coaches booked for touchline rants as the game moved into extra-time, while they also exchanged angry words at the conclusion of the match, which provided little goalmouth action other than a half-chance for substitute Gabriel Jesus.
That meant penalties to decide a winner, with Raya proving the difference between the two teams by saving first from Wendell and then Wenderson Galeno, both outstanding full-length stops, while Arsenal were perfect as Odegaard, Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice all found the back of the net.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta:
"So happy - 14 years is a long time for a club like Arsenal not to do what we've done today," he said.
"We had to dig in and find the magic moment we did at the end today. So proud and so happy.
"You are very nervous. You are hoping for the best but you know it's a bit of a lottery. We did our preparation yesterday and the day before just in case and it really helped so credit to the goalkeeping coaches as well.
"We have started to create an unbelievable energy in the stadium and we are all pushing to get it done, and together we've done it.
"Unbelievable. That's where we want to be. We have been patient and this is where we want to be."
Arsenal must wait nearly three weeks for their next game after the postponement of their Premier League home fixture against Chelsea due to the Blues' FA Cup participation this weekend, which is then followed by an international break.
The Gunners return to action with a huge title clash against Manchester City as Mikel Arteta's side go to the Etihad Stadium on March 31; kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports.
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