Saka On Target As Arsenal Seals UCL Final Spot
Bukayo Saka scored the game’s only goal as Arsenal reached their first Champions League final in 20 years, defeating Atletico Madrid 1-0 at the Emirates to advance 2-1 on aggregate.
The semi-final tie was finely set after Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez exchanged penalties at the Metropolitano last week, and there was little to choose between two attritional teams in the return match in north London on Tuesday night.
It always felt like a mistake would determine the game – and so it did.
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With only a minute of regular time remaining at the end of the first half, Jan Oblak fumbled a shot from Leandro Trossard at Saka’s feet, providing Arsenal’s homegrown hero with the simplest of finishes from inside the six-yard box to send the home crowd into raptures.
Atletico applied more pressure in the second half, but their finest opportunity came from a William Saliba blunder.
Unfortunately for coach Diego Simeone, his son Giuliano was unable to score after pouncing on the Frenchman’s wayward header, despite taking the ball around David Raya.
As a result, Arsenal held on comfortably, one victory away from winning the European Cup for the first time.
