Madrid: Arsenal defeated defending champions Real Madrid 2-1 on Wednesday to reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2009 in a match where VAR played a key role in two penalty decisions.
Arsenal advanced 5-1 on aggregate after winning 3-0 in London last week, keeping alive their chances of winning Europe’s top club competition for the first time. They will face Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals.
There was no historic comeback for Madrid this time. No late goals, no high drama, no magic at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
The 15-time European champions fell short of the last four for the first time since 2020, ending their shot at a third Champions League title in four seasons.
“There was a lot of talk coming here about (Real Madrid) coming back, because they’ve done it so many times before, but we had so much belief and confidence from that first game to come here and win,” Arsenal’s Declan Rice said. “We had it in our minds and now we’ve done it in real life.”
In Milan, Former Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard scored against his old club to help Inter Milan to a 2-2 draw against the German team on Wednesday, sending the Nerazzurri through to the semifinals 4-3 on aggregate.
It was Pavard’s first goal for Inter, after the France international joined from Bayern in 2023. “There’s certainly a lot of emotions as it’s my first goal, moreover it’s at San Siro,” said Pavard, who last scored almost exactly two years ago to the day. “So there were a lot of emotions but I had to stay in the match, I couldn’t think of the goal, I had to remain focused.”
Harry Kane had levelled the quarterfinal early in the second half but Inter swiftly turned the game around with goals from Lautaro Martínez and Pavard on a blustery night in Milan.
Eric Dier headed in the equaliser on the night, in the 76th minute, to set up a nervy finale.