David Raya was the hero as Arsenal on Tuesday beat Porto 4-2 on penalties to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2010, while Barcelona survived a nervy second half to beat SSC Napoli 3-1 to advance 4-2 on aggregate.
Arsenal and Porto were locked at 1-1 on aggregate after an absorbing second leg at the Emirates Stadium in London, but Raya saved twice in the shoot-out to break the hearts of the two-time champions.
The goalkeeper dived full stretch to deny Wendell and repeated the feat against Galeno, while the home side converted all four of their penalties as the decibel count soared.
Photo: AFP
It is the first time a Champions League match has been decided by penalties since the 2016 final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
“You are very nervous. You are hoping for the best, but you know that it [the shoot-out] is a bit of a lottery,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports. “So happy. It has been 14 years [without reaching quarter-finals], which is a long time for a club like Arsenal and it shows how difficult it was. We really had to dig in to find the magic moment at the end.”
Raya, on loan from Brentford, said it was a “great moment personally and collectively.”
“This means everything. You play football for these kind of things and I’m lucky to be playing for Arsenal, to be in the Champions League and to get through to the quarter-finals,” he said.
In Spain, Xavi Hernandez’s side came flying out of the blocks with goals from Fermin Lopez and Joao Cancelo, but after Amir Rrahmani pulled one back, the Catalans started to sweat.
Italian champions Napoli, who salvaged a 1-1 draw in the last-16 first leg, were finally beaten when Robert Lewandowski swept home from close range.
It is the first time five-time winners Barcelona have reached the last eight of the competition since 2020, and they did so without injured midfield trio Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong.
“We’re in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after four years. It’s the moment to enjoy that,” Barca coach Xavi told Movistar.
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