Bukayo Saka and Real Madrid Player in Heated Exchange in Tunnel During UCL Thriller, Video
- Bukayo Saka and Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal were involved in a tunnel bust-up during halftime at the Santiago Bernabeu
- The Arsenal winger responded after missing a Panenka penalty with a classy finish in the second half
- Arsenal secured a 2-1 win on the night, 5-1 on aggregate, and reached the UCL semi-final for the first time since 2009
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Arsenal’s dramatic 2-1 win over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu was not without controversy.
At the heart of the drama was Bukayo Saka, who found himself in a heated exchange with injured Real Madrid veteran Dani Carvajal as the players made their way to the dressing rooms at halftime.
Source: Getty Images
Saka had just missed a Panenka-style penalty, which was comfortably saved by Thibaut Courtois.
Carvajal, sidelined since October with an ACL injury, grabbed Saka by the neck and raised his hand toward the Arsenal winger, The MIRROR reports.
The England star immediately reacted, pushing the Real Madrid man away before Arsenal defender Ben White stepped in to defend his teammate.
Security and players from both teams quickly intervened, but the clash highlighted the intensity of the night and Real Madrid’s growing frustration as they trailed 3-0 on aggregate at the time.
Saka recovers from penalty miss to spark Arsenal
Despite the drama and initial setback, Saka showed remarkable composure in the second half.
Source: Getty Images
The 22-year-old England forward made up for his earlier miss by scoring in the 65th minute with a calm finish over Courtois following a smart pass from Mikel Merino, talkSPORT reports.
The joy, however, was short-lived as Madrid responded almost immediately when William Saliba lost possession in a dangerous area following a weak pass from goalkeeper David Raya, allowing Vinicius Junior to pounce, and fire into an empty net.
The Santiago Bernabeu erupted, sensing a potential comeback, but Arsenal remained composed.
Martinelli seals historic semi-final spot
As the match neared its conclusion, Arsenal delivered the final blow.
Once again, Merino was the provider for the final strike, threading a precise through ball to Gabriel Martinelli.
The Brazilian winger made no mistake, slotting the ball past an on-rushing Courtois to put the tie beyond Madrid’s reach.
The 2-1 win on the night (5-1 on aggregate) means Arsenal have qualified for the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in 15 years.
The Gunners now turn their attention to a blockbuster clash with Paris Saint-Germain next.
With tempers flaring and statements made both on and off the pitch, Arsenal showed grit and quality to overcome one of Europe’s giants on their own turf.
Arteta reacts after reaching UCL semi-final
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Mikel Arteta could not contain his emotions during the post-match conference after Arsenal beat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu to progress to the UEFA Champions League semi-final.
Arsenal won 5-1 on aggregate, having won 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium, and despite Real Madrid’s mind games and intimidation, it was the Gunners who were the best team on both nights.
Arsenal are the first team ever to win each of their first two games against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabéu in all competitions.
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Source: Legit.ng
