MADRID (AP) 鈥� Arsenal defeated defending champion Real Madrid 2-1 on Wednesday to reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2009 in a match where VAR played a key role in two penalty decisions.
Arsenal advanced 5-1 on aggregate after a 3-0 first-leg win at home in London last week, keeping alive its chances of winning Europe鈥檚 top club competition for the first time. It will face Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals.
Inter Milan advanced past Bayern Munich in the other quarterfinal on Wednesday. It will meet Barcelona in the other semifinal.
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. It was seeking its third Champions League title in four seasons.
Its hopes of staging another comeback on Wednesday 鈥� like so many times before in recent years in the Champions League 鈥� took a big hit when a five-minute VAR check overturned a penalty for a hold on Kylian Mbapp茅 in the first half with the game tied 0-0.
Arsenal earlier had 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 after a nice pass by Mikel Merino in the 65th minute, and Madrid couldn鈥檛 manage more than an equalizer by Vin铆cius J煤nior a couple of minutes later after a defensive blunder by William Saliba.
Gabriel Martinelli gave Arsenal the victory by scoring on a breakaway three minutes into stoppage time, also after another assist by Merino.
Mbapp茅 was replaced by Brahim D铆az in the 75th with an apparent injury and part of the crowd at the Bernabeu jeered the France star when his substitution was announced. It was another lackluster performance for Mbapp茅, who yet again won鈥檛 be able to win a Champions League title.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a tough moment,鈥� Madrid鈥檚 Lucas Vazquez said. 鈥淲e tried but in the end we couldn鈥檛 achieve our goal. We鈥檒l come back stronger. Madrid always does.鈥�
It was a tough task for Madrid from the start, and it never could do much against the stout defense of Arsenal under coach Mikel Arteta. The English side haven鈥檛 lost by a three-goal margin in nearly three years, and only four times has a home team erased a first-leg deficit of three goals or more in the Champions League era, according to UEFA.
Arsenal hadn鈥檛 lost to Madrid in the teams鈥� three previous meetings. It also overcame Madrid in the Champions League knockout stage in 2005-06, when it reached the final and eventually lost the title to Barcelona.
Arsenal was eliminated by Manchester United the last time it made the last four in 2008-09.
Backed by a raucous crowd at the Bernabeu, Madrid tried to get off to a strong start. It scored two minutes into the match but the goal by Mbapp茅 was disallowed for a clear offside.
Arsenal had a chance to increase its advantage after being awarded a penalty about 10 minutes later, but Saka鈥檚 13th-minute attempt from the spot was saved by Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who used his left hand to swat away the forward鈥檚 chip.
The penalty was awarded after Ra煤l Asencio held Mikel Merino inside the area during a corner kick in an action that was missed by French referee Fran莽ois Letexier. But he was called over to the pitchside monitor by the VAR to review the incident and then pointed to the spot.
Video review played a role again in the 23rd, after Mbapp茅 was held inside the area by Declan Rice, who had scored twice in the first leg through free kicks. Letexier pointed to the spot that time but after a lengthy VAR check he was called over to the monitor again and then reversed his decision.
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AP soccer:
Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
