Arsenal Beat Porto in a Penalty Shootout and Advanced to the UCL Quarterfinals for the First Time in 14 Years
EPL leader Arsenal takes one step closer to a 'double'
Barcelona enters the quarterfinals with a 4-2 aggregate win over Napoli
Arsenal of the English Professional Football Premier League (EPL) defeated Porto (Portugal) and advanced to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League (UCL).
Arsenal led 1-0 during 90 minutes of regular time in the 2023-2024 UCL Round of 16 home game held at the Emirates Stadium in London, England on the 13th (Korean time).
In the first leg of the round of 16 on the 22nd of last month, Porto won 1-0, so the total score of the first and second legs of both teams was 1-1, and there were no goals scored in the first and second half of extra time, so Arsenal won 4-2 in the subsequent penalty shootout. won with 카지노사이트
With this, Arsenal advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in 14 seasons since the 2009-2010 season.
At that time, they defeated Porto 6-2 on aggregate in the round of 16.
Arsenal, who advanced to the round of 16 by finishing first in Group B in this season's UCL group stage, lost to Porto in the first leg, putting a cloud over their ability to advance to the quarterfinals, but smiled at the end of the penalty shootout.
Arsenal, currently ranked first in the EPL with 64 points, is one step closer to winning the double.
The last time a UCL tournament game went to a penalty shootout was the 2015-2016 season final between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid (hereinafter referred to as Spain).
Arsenal escaped the crisis of elimination with a joint goal by Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossar in the 41st minute of the first half.
Following his brilliant footwork, Odegaard broke through four defenders with a fantastic kill pass and delivered the ball to Trossard, who penetrated into the left penalty area, and Trossard wasted no time sending a right-footed shot into the bottom corner of the opposite goal to win the first and second games.
The total was 1-1.
Odegaard hit the net with his left foot in front of the goal in the 22nd minute of the second half, but the goal was canceled due to the referee's ruling that Kai Havertz had committed a foul by pulling Pepe in the previous scene.
The match between the two teams that failed to score an additional point went into overtime, but again, there was no final shot.
In the penalty shootout that started with Arsenal taking the lead, Odegaard and Pepe, the first kickers of both teams, succeeded side by side.
Then, Arsenal's second kicker Havertz succeeded with a clean shot, while Porto's Wendeu Nascimento Borgis' shot hit the right post.
Bukayo Saka and Marko Grujic, the third kickers of both teams, were successful together, and Arsenal's Declan Rice also hit the net.
Then, goalkeeper David Raya blocked the shot of Porto's fourth kicker, Galeno, putting an end to the fierce match.
Meanwhile, Porto's defender Pepe, born in February 1983, became the first UCL player to play in a game at the age of 41.
FC Barcelona (Spain) also succeeded in advancing to the quarterfinals.
Barcelona won 3-1 in the second leg home game against Napoli (Italy) held at the Estadi Olympic Ruiz Kompanis in Barcelona, Spain.
Barcelona, who drew 1-1 with Napoli in the first game, won a ticket to the quarterfinals with a total of 4-2 in the first and second games.
Barcelona is aiming for its sixth UCL trophy, nine years after the 2014-2015 season.
Barcelona opened the scoring in the 15th minute of the first half with a right-footed shot from Fermin Lopez in front of the goal.
Two minutes later, Joao Cancelo set the tone early by scoring a right-footed shot from the left penalty area into the net.
They allowed a goal to Naples' Amir Rahmani in the 30th minute of the first half, but in the 38th minute of the second half, Robert Lewandowski scored with his left foot in front of the goal.
With Arsenal and Barcelona winning that day, there are now two spots left in the UCL quarterfinals.
Last week, Bayern Munich (Germany), Paris Saint-Germain (France), Manchester City (England), and Real Madrid (Spain) advanced to the quarterfinals.
All teams participating in the quarterfinals will be confirmed following the second leg of the round of 16 between Inter Milan (Italy) and Atletico Madrid (Spain) and Eindhoven (Netherlands) and Dortmund (Germany) on the 14th.
The matchup will be decided on the 15th, and the quarterfinals will be held next month.
