Arsenal And Inter March Into Champions League Semi-Finals On Big European Night

By: Gyang Dakwo

Arsenal and Inter Milan both booked their spots in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals after impressive performances on Wednesday night.

Arsenal ended Real Madrid’s hopes of another famous comeback with a strong 2-1 win at the Bernabeu Stadium, completing a dominant 5-1 victory on aggregate. The English side came into the second leg with a 3-0 lead from last week, and they never looked in danger.

Bukayo Saka scored in the 65th minute to make the tie all but over. Real Madrid hit back quickly through Vinicius Junior after a rare Arsenal mistake, but it was not enough to spark a revival. Gabriel Martinelli sealed the win with a goal in stoppage time.

This is the first time Arsenal have reached the Champions League semi-finals since 2009. They will now face Paris Saint-Germain, who knocked out Aston Villa on Tuesday. Declan Rice, who scored two brilliant free kicks in the first leg, called it a “historic night” for the club.

Real Madrid, winners of the competition a record 15 times, looked far from their best. Their captain, Lucas Vazquez, admitted the team fell short, especially against a very well-organised Arsenal side.

In the other quarter-final, Inter Milan held Bayern Munich to a thrilling 2-2 draw at the San Siro. That result was enough for the Italians to go through 4-3 on aggregate.

Harry Kane gave Bayern an early lead, but Inter responded quickly with two goals of their own. Eric Dier’s second-half equaliser made for a tense finish, but Inter held firm. They now face Barcelona in the semi-finals, a repeat of the 2010 clash when Inter famously went on to win the trophy and complete the treble.

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi will be hoping for a similar run this year, with his team still in the hunt for three major trophies.

It was a night of high drama and emotion across Europe, as two proud clubs took big steps toward Champions League glory.