- Bayern Munich set up date with PSG
- As Arsenal outlast Sporting in nail-biter for semi-final tie against Atlético Madrid
Real Madrid’s last gasp at Champions League glory ended in humiliating fashion as a moment of madness from Eduardo Camavinga saw them crashing to a 6-4 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich in the quarter final encounter
In what pundits labeled a “head loss” moment, the Frenchman picked up a late red card to blow a tight game open. And trust Bayern, they capitalised on the mishap with a duo of late goals to send Los Blancos home after a chaotic match-up at Allianz Arena.
Madrid’s fans are angry that things might have been different. Their darling club enjoyed a dream start to the game, even if it was rather gifted to them. Bayern’s Keeper Manuel Neuer passed inexplicably to the feet of Guler inside the first minute, who whipped into an empty net from 30 yards. But Bayern responded. Their goal was a simple one. Joshua Kimmich whipped a cross in under the bar. Alex Pavlovic nudged Andriy Lunin out of the way and nodded home.
But Los Blancos showed their Champions League pedigree as Guler was at it again after 30 minutes, whipping a free-kick into the top corner via Neuer’s outstretched hand. And then it was pretty much chaos.
Bayern had a duo of good penalty shouts turned down. Harry Kane made up for any complaints by scoring from close range. And then Kylian Mbappe restored parity again, tucking home off a classic counter-attack. Somewhere in between, Vincent Kompany picked up a yellow card that will see him suspended for the next game.
The second half was far more like the contest that most expected. Madrid dropped deep and hit on the break. Concrete chances were few and far between. Both keepers were tested, but a clear look on goal never really came.
Then came the moment of stupidity, which in truth, broke the game open. Camavinga was already on a yellow when he picked up the ball and delayed a Bayern free kick.
The referee showed no hesitation in brandishing a second yellow. It opened up the game slightly, and Bayern capitalised on the one man advantage. Diaz stuck the killer blow, cutting inside and firing an angled shot into the far corner.
Michael Olise put the icing on the cake when he added another late on, and Madrid were left to woe ill-discipline, and confront a season that will now certainly finish with an empty trophy cabinet.
Nervy Arsenal Survive Sporting Scare
Despite huffing and puffing on Wednesday night, Arsenal did just enough holding on to the 1-0 lead from the first-leg of their quarter-final tie to sent Sporting Lisbon packing from this year’s Champions League.
It was nervy Gunners who narrowly squeezed past the Portuguese side to set up a semi-final showdown against FC Barcelona’s conquerors, Atlético Madrid of Spain.
And borrowing a line from Coach Mikel Arteta, it is not meant to be easy. On the night, it was anything but the latest anxiety-ridden, claustrophobic occasion for his Arsenal team. However, the win gave the Club a priceless fourth appearance in the semi-finals of the European elite club competition.
Though they fell short against a tidy Sporting team and ignominy was almost guaranteed, Arsenal, who still got the job done in this encounter that rested on a knife-edge all through the entire 90 minutes duration.
Clearly there seems to be deepening of the existential crisis. The Gunners’ recent struggles have been pronounced. No doubt, the loss to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final; the FA Cup exit at Southampton; the latest Premier League defeat against Bournemouth have all imperilled their title push.
Pundits argue the team’s nerves are pounding like a migraine and it is Manchester City next at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Tough to watch in an attacking sense, Arsenal were unable to penetrate and create chances against Sporting and the statistics showed that they managed just one shot on target and, in truth, it was difficult to remember who that was from.
Apparently, it was Martín Zubimendi and Leandro Trossard, who had come off the bench, hit the post with a header from a tight angle following a deep corner in the 84th minute.
As the night wore on, even the most die-hard fans were visibly afraid if their darling team could keep the backdoor shut. Happily, they did as the defensive resolve that has underpinned their season came to the fore when it mattered the most.
Though there were worrying moments when Geny Catamo hit the post for Sporting just before half-time and the visitors almost made it happen at other instances, Arsenal held tight to show just how you win things without necessarily being on your best form.
