UEFA Champions League Wrap: Bayern Munich Stun Real Madrid in 7-Goal Thriller, Arsenal Grind Past Sporting to Reach Semi-Finals

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The UEFA Champions League witnessed a night full of drama on Wednesday as Bayern Munich pulled off a stunning 4-3 comeback win over Real Madrid to seal a 6-4 aggregate victory, and reach the semifinals while Arsenal played out a 0-0 draw against Sporting CP and won the quarterfinals tie 1-0 on aggregate. From late goals and red cards in Munich to a frustrating goalless draw in London, here’s the roundup of the night.

Bayern Munich 4-3 Real Madrid

Bayern Munich’s Luis Diaz and Michael Olise scored late goals to earn the hosts a dramatic 4-3 comeback win over Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday and send them into the last four 6-4 on aggregate after a thrilling tie. Diaz struck in the 89th minute and Olise in stoppage time to seal treble-chasing Bayern’s place in the semis where they will play holders Paris St Germain.

Real had substitute Eduardo Camavinga sent off in the 86th after two bookings in eight minutes before Real‘s double scorer Arda Guler got his marching orders for dissent at the end of the game as the frustration of the record 15-times European champions boiled over.

Bayern are only the second team to trail three or more times and still win a Champions League match. “It was a great night for the club,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said. “What remains for me is the total togetherness that we showed. That’s what we take from the game. We showed absolute belief and will to fight our way back into the game.”

It took only 35 seconds of a pulsating five-goal first half for Real to score, with 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, man of the match in last week’s first leg, making a huge blunder and sending his pass straight to Guler who fired into an empty goal.

The Bavarians, fresh from setting a new Bundesliga record for most goals scored in a single season, made amends five minutes later courtesy of unmarked Aleksandar Pavlovic’s header close to the goalline with keeper Andriy Lunin completely out of position.

The 21-year-old Guler came to the rescue for Real again, whipping a 29th-minute free kick over the wall past Neuer and into the top corner to put them 2-1 up. Guler had not scored a goal in his previous 20 matches in the competition.

Bayern bounced back again when Kane netted his 12th goal in this season’s competition eight minutes later, before Realbattling for their only realistic shot at a trophy this season, responded through top scorer Mbappe who levelled from a Vinicius Jr. assist just before halftime for his 15th Champions League goal.

Late Drama in Bayern vs Real Madrid

The pace dropped after the break but Neuer, making a record-equalling 25th appearance in the Champions League quarter-finals, had to come to their rescue, blocking Mbappe’s powerful shot early in the second half. But there was still more drama left in the game with Camavinga sent off four minutes from time for holding on to the ball after a foul.

“It was all over after the red card,” Real coach Alvaro Arbeloa said. “You can’t send a player off for something like that on such a big stage. It’s a shame to spoil such a beautiful game.”

Bayern took full advantage of the extra man, scoring through Diaz’s deflected strike before man-of-the-match Olise crowned a famous win for the six-times European champions.

“I feel for my players. For the effort they made,” Arbeloa said. “It hurts because Real Madrid won’t win their 16th title this year. I’m very proud. We’re going back to Madrid after giving it our all.”

Arsenal 0-0 Sporting

Arsenal edged past Sporting to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the second successive season with a 0-0 home draw earning them a 1-0 aggregate victory on Wednesday.

It was far from convincing though for Mikel Arteta’s side as they held on to the lead given to them by Kai Havertz’s stoppage-time goal in Lisbon last week.

The well-organised visitors posed a threat at times, especially in the first half, and almost went ahead on the night just before halftime when Geny Catamo’s volley clipped the post.

Arsenal substitute Leandro Trossard also struck the woodwork in the tense latter stages of a dour game in which Sporting ran out of ideas and could not prevent the hosts keeping an eighth clean sheet in 12 Champions League games this season to set up a semi-final clash with Atletico Madrid.

While the result was ultimately all that mattered, Arsenal again lacked attacking spark and suffered an injury scare ahead of Sunday’s colossal Premier League clash at Manchester City when Noni Madueke was forced off after a bang to the knee.

“We are delighted, it was a really tough test over two games,” Arsenal captain Declan Rice said of the result. “To get to back-to-back semi-finals is an amazing achievement and now we want to go one step further.”

Arsenal bowed out in the semi-finals last season to eventual winners Paris St Germain and they will have to improve against a dangerous Atletico side if they are to reach the final for only the second time, having lost to Barcelona in 2006.

As huge as Wednesday’s match was, the looming clash with City which could make or break Arsenal‘s hopes of a first Premier League title for 22 years was impossible to ignore.

A 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth last weekend, which has opened the door for City, was Arsenal‘s third defeat in four games in all competitions and prompted suggestions that Arteta’s side were running out of steam with the finish line in sight.

Another setback would have eroded confidence ahead of Sunday’s Etihad Stadium showdown but Arsenal stood firm and showed plenty of grit to progress, despite managing only one attempt on target. Arteta was especially pleased with the control his side showed, although he was relieved when Sporting’s Joao Simoes flashed a shot agonisingly wide with the last kick of the game.

“The last 15 to 20 minutes we controlled the game really well and controlled the transitions,” said Arteta, the first manager to lead Arsenal to back-to-back semi-finals in Europe’s elite club competition.

“It’s a great night. I’m very happy for all our people. We are making steps that haven’t been done at this club for 140 years. Now we will have two magical nights, one in Madrid and one here.” For Sporting manager Rui Borges and the visiting fans it was a case of nearly but not quite after the Portuguese side matched the Premier League leaders over both legs.

“I think we deserved more and potentially deserved to play extra time; in both games the best opportunities were Sporting’s,” Borges said. “Arsenal didn’t create many opportunities. There can’t be any frustration, there can only be pride.”