Arsenal had a golden opportunity to extend their aggregate lead against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, but Bukayo Saka`s penalty was saved by Thibaut Courtois. Arsenal entered the second leg with a comfortable 3-0 advantage, confident in their defense, having not conceded three or more goals since December 2023 and not lost by a three-goal margin since May 2023.
The penalty was awarded to The Gunners in the 10th minute after VAR spotted Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio holding Arsenal`s Mikel Merino in the box. While the first grab appeared permissible, a second, more blatant hold led to the penalty. Saka stepped up to take it after Martin Odegaard protected the ball.
Saka, typically a reliable penalty taker with 13 goals from 14 attempts, opted for a chipped penalty at this crucial moment. However, Courtois easily saved his attempt. This miss is a significant setback for Saka, reminiscent of his penalty miss in the 2020 Euros final shootout against Italy. Although he scored a penalty in the Euro 2024 quarter-final shootout against Switzerland, high-stakes misses like this are heavily scrutinized.
Shortly after, Real Madrid appealed for a penalty of their own when Declan Rice challenged Kylian Mbappe in the penalty area. Rice was initially yellow-carded for the foul, and a penalty was given. However, after a lengthy VAR review, the decision was overturned, and the yellow card rescinded. Rice is now at risk of suspension for Arsenal`s next Champions League match if he receives another yellow card and Arsenal progresses – a possibility that increases with each minute Real Madrid fails to score.
This match is already intensely contested, with a significant portion of the game remaining to determine who will face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals, scheduled to begin on April 28th.
