It was meant to be a venganza — a fierce comeback on home turf. But under the bright lights of the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid’s hopes of overturning a 0-3 deficit against a red-hot Arsenal side crumbled into bitter disappointment.
Instead of a miracle, the night delivered mayhem for Los Banos, as the Gunners struck again with a clinical 2-1 win, sealing a stunning 5-1 aggregate victory.
After 16 long years, Arsenal are back in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, and they will take on French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain on April 30 at the Emirates Stadium.
With this historic triumph, the Gunners didn’t just march into the semi-finals — they made history. Arsenal became the first English side ever to knock out the reigning Champions League holders, and they did it with swagger.
Flashback to 2006, when Thierry Henry’s solo stunner silenced the Bernabéu with a 1-0 win — now, nearly two decades later, Arsenal have done it again.
The loss was a wake-up call, not just for Real Madrid, but for their boss, Carlo Ancelotti, whose future now hangs in the balance. While it’s still just speculation, in football, anything can happen. Rumours are swirling about his departure at the end of the season, and a host of potential successors are already being floated.
Among the names making waves? Former Real Madrid star and current Bayer Leverkusen manager, Xabi Alonso, is making a strong case to take the reins.
The lone silver lining for Madrid came in the form of Vinicius Júnior’s consolation goal in the 67th minute, which was not enough to see the hosts through to the semi-finals.
