Real Madrid 1-2 Arsenal: Match report and player ratings as Gunners through to UCL semi-finals | OneFootball

Arsenal have progressed to the semi-finals of the Champions League following a brilliant 2-1 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, sealing a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory.

It was a fast start with the hosts having the ball in the net through Kylian Mbappe within three minutes. The Gunners breathed a heavy sigh of relief however when the linesman's flag went up. Just moments later, David Alaba took Bukayo Saka out with a reckless sliding tackle, earning him a yellow card.

The winger caused plenty of problems down the right side in the opening stages but it all went wrong when he had the chance to score from the penalty spot. A Raul Asencio foul on Mikel Merino was deemed worthy of a spot kick but Saka couldn't convert, seeing a tame panenka effort saved by Thibaut Courtois.

Madrid then began to put serious pressure on their visitors and soon thought they'd have their own chance from 12 yards. Lucas Vazquez swung a cross into the box and Mbappe was dragged down by Declan Rice, prompting the referee to point to the spot. A lengthy VAR check ensued however and after being told to go to the screen, Francois Letexier reversed his decision.

Arsenal dealt with Madrid's continued pressure brilliantly to ensure their 3-0 aggregate lead remained intact at the halfway point. Mikel Arteta's side came out with a bit more bite after the break, looking to attack the hosts with force.

Saka managed to redeem himself midway through the second half, when he was played in on goal by Mikel Merino before dinking a neat lob over Courtois to put his side ahead on the night and four goals to the good on aggregate.

The celebrations were short lived though as Madrid hit back instantly when Vinicius Jr pounced on a mistake by William Saliba to equalise and give his side a lifeline in the tie.

That mistake did not cost the Gunners however as they saw out any further Madrid pressure before Gabriel Martinelli sealed the win in stoppage time. The Brazil international was played through on goal and did brilliantly to beat Fran Garcia before placing a fine effort past Courtois.

Arsenal are now through to their first Champions League semi-final since the 2008-09 season and have taken another huge step in their journey under the leadership of Mikel Arteta. They will face Paris Saint-Germain in the next round.

Arsenal player ratings in the UEFA Champions League vs Real Madrid (4-3-3)

David Raya - 6/10

Didn't have much to in the first half and wasn't required to make a save. Caught out of position for Madrid's equaliser however.

Jurrien Timber - 8.5/10

Solid down the right side all night, playing a big part in his side's defensive superiority. Really impressive game for the Dutchman.

William Saliba - 6.5/10

Was so good throughout most of the game, preventing Madrid from having too much threat. Undid his good work when he was caught on the ball by Vinicius Jr for the leveller.

Jakub Kiwior - 7/10

Didn't have any standout moments but had a quietly good game. Solid at the back and made a few important clearances. Continued to impress in Gabriel's absence.

Myles Lewis-Skelly - 8.5/10

Mature beyond his years. Dealt with Madrid's pressure well and battled brilliantly when coming up against certain players. Played some nice passes.

Martin Ødegaard – 6.5/10

Struggled in the first half as he made a number of wrong decisions and played some poor passes. Improved after the break however as he got heavily involved in his team's build-up play. Put an effort just wide of the post late on.

Thomas Partey - 7/10

Similar to Kiwior, a good performance that went under the radar. Did pick up a silly yellow card late on however that will mean he misses the first leg of the semi-final.

Declan Rice - 8.5/10

Absolutely outstanding in the middle for his side as he helped control the game really well. Played a key part in Arsenal keeping Madrid out on a number of occasions.

Bukayo Saka - 7/10

Rather strangely opted to attempt a panenka penalty in the early stages but was thwarted by Courtois. Made amends however when he beat the Belgian with a lobbed finish in the second half to put his side ahead.

Mikel Merino - 7.5/10

Put in a good shift and positioned himself across the frontline when his team was on the attack. Assisted Saka's goal with a perfectly weighted pass to break through the Madrid defence. Then replicated that with an even better through ball for Martinelli to latch onto for the winner.

Gabriel Martinelli - 8/10

Caused plenty of problems on the left side with his constant bursts of energy. Broke into the box on a number of occasions and did have a shot saved by Courtois. Won the game in stoppage time with a great run and fine finish.

Sub: Leandro Trossard (on 77' for Saka) - 5/10

Sub: Ben White (on 90+5' for Timber) - N/A

Sub: Kieran Tierney (on 90+5' for Martinelli) - N/A

Sub: Oleksandr Zinchenko (on 90+5' for Rice) - N/A

Manager: Mikel Arteta - 8/10

Approached the game with the right tactics, didn't want his side to sit back and soak up the pressure. Clearly had words at half-time and it worked as Arsenal came out with newfound energy following the break.