Real Madrid defeated by Arsenal to end Champions League defence

Real Madrid’s Champions League defence ends with a tame 2-1 defeat in Spain by Arsenal, who claim a 5-1 aggregate win.

Arsenal have defeated defending champion Real Madrid 2-1 to reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2009 in a match in which VAR played a key role in two penalty decisions.

Arsenal advanced 5-1 on aggregate on Wednesday after a 3-0 first-leg win at home in London last week, keeping alive its chances of winning Europe’s top club competition for the first time. They will face Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals.

There was no historic comeback for Madrid this time. No late goals, no high drama, no magic at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

The defending champion and record 15-time European winner fell short of the last four for the first time since 2020. They were seeking their third Champions League title in four seasons.

Its hopes of staging another comeback on Wednesday, like so many times before in recent years in the Champions League, took a big hit when a five-minute VAR check overturned a penalty for a hold on Kylian Mbappe in the first half with the game tied 0-0.

Arsenal had earlier been awarded a penalty after a video review, but Bukayo Saka missed his spot kick.

Saka was able to put Arsenal ahead from inside the area in the 65th minute, and Madrid could not manage more than an equaliser from Vinicius Junior, a couple of minutes later, following a defensive blunder by William Saliba.

Gabriel Martinelli gave Arsenal the victory by scoring on a breakaway three minutes into stoppage time.

This was Real Madrid’s 12th defeat of the season, by contrast to just two across the whole of the previous campaign.

“It could be that the club decide to change [coach], it could be this year – or the next when my contract expires, there’s no problem,” Real head coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters after the game.

“The day that I leave here, I can only thank the club.

“It could be tomorrow, in 10 days, in a month or a year, but all I can do will be to thank the club – if my contract’s up or not, I don’t care.”

Madrid have been linked with Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso, who played for Los Blancos, and former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

Ancelotti said his team were still in the fight for LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Club World Cup this summer.

“The team gave everything in terms of attitude, but we weren’t able to do it,” said Ancelotti after the Arsenal defeat.