Stunning extra time scenes as 43-yr fairytale rocked in Champions League heist; giant lands massive blow — Wrap

Grinding out the win in Lisbon was a suitable riposte to the critics. Insisting his players were “hungrier than ever”, Arteta had urged Arsenal to use the “pain” of their recent defeats as motivation and they rose to the challenge.

Sitting nine points clear of second-placed Manchester City, the Premier League leaders are also on course for their first title in 22 years.

Playing in the last eight for the first time since 1983, Sporting’s 17-game winning run at home made them dangerous opponents for Arsenal.

Injury-hit Arsenal were still without Jurrien Timber, Piero Hincapie, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka, although Declan Rice returned after missing the Southampton game and England’s recent friendlies.

David Raya was also back in goal for Arsenal after missing the previous two games and the Spaniard quickly made his presence felt.

Ousmane Diomande’s deft pass split the Arsenal defence, sending Maxi Araujo clear for a fierce strike that Raya tipped onto the crossbar at full-stretch.

Raya was forced into action again to smother Geny Catamo’s low drive from an acute angle inside the penalty area.

– Super subs –

Arsenal were on the rack but Noni Madueke nearly gave them the lead against the run of play with an in-swinging corner that cannoned off the bar.

Unable to establish any attacking rhythm in a cagey half, it took Arsenal 42 minutes to muster a shot on target.

Even then Martin Odegaard’s blast from the edge of the area was straight at Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva.

Arteta’s frustration was palpable as he urged Madueke and Ben White to press harder when Sporting were in possession.

Arsenal were marginally improved after the break and Leandro Trossard dragged his shot wide from 18 yards before Odegaard almost caught out Silva with a free-kick immediately after half-time.

Martin Zubimendi thought he had given Arsenal the lead in the 63rd minute with a close-range finish, but the midfielder’s goal was disallowed for offside against Viktor Gyokeres.

Odegaard and Trossard limped off to add to Arsenal’s injury woes. Sporting went close to snatching a late goal when Luis Suarez’s cross reached Catamo for a flicked header that Raya pushed away.

But Arsenal grabbed the winner in stoppage-time via Arteta’s substitutes. Gabriel Martinelli played a superb pass over the Sporting defence and Havertz beat the offside trap to slot past Silva from 10 yards as Arteta punched the air in delight.

Kylian Mbappe’s strike 16 minutes from time gave record 15-time winners Real a lifeline at their Bernabeu home in a gripping battle.

Vincent Kompany’s side, arguably the strongest team in Europe this season, produced a masterclass in the first half and could have been several goals ahead.

Instead they had only one from Diaz, which Kane added to after the interval, but Mbappe’s goal kept Alvaro Arbeloa’s side in the tie.

The round’s glamour fixture was a European classic — a record 29th time these teams have faced each other in the competition.

Bayern flew out of the blocks and Konrad Laimer’s rasping effort narrowly over the bar showed that Kompany’s side had come to the Spanish capital to attack.

After nine consecutive matches against Madrid without a win, Bayern were determined to put an end to that streak and show why many consider them favourites to lift the trophy this season.

Bayern should have taken the lead through defender Dayot Upamecano, who fluffed his lines from point-blank range after Kane cushioned the ball into his path.

Despite the Frenchman’s ungainly effort at finishing, the ball was still heading for the net but Madrid defender Alvaro Carreras hacked it off the line to safety.

Madrid were largely pinned back as Bayern dominated the ball, but the hosts sought to send through rapid strikers Mbappe and Vinicius Junior on the counter.

The competition’s top scorer, Mbappe, got in first and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer made a solid save with his legs to deny the striker.

Vinicius was next but Neuer was equal to his bending strike too, palming the ball away.

Madrid’s defensive work was nearly undone by a moment of madness from 18-year-old midfielder Thiago Pitarch, starting in place of Jude Bellingham as the England international builds fitness after injury.

Pitarch’s poor back pass under pressure was straight to Serge Gnabry in front of goal but Andriy Lunin, perhaps without even knowing how, deflected the German’s shot behind.

Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde, who scored a sensational hat-trick in the last 16 against Manchester City, put Mbappe through again but Neuer saved the French superstar’s drive from a tight angle.

– Madrid stay alive –

Bayern toyed at times with Real, who ceded possession far too often, and their opening goal was a slick combination play which caught the hosts on their heels.

After a Vinicius pass deflected off Michael Olise and back to Bayern, they sprang into action.

Gnabry exchanged a one-two with Kane and pushed the ball in behind Trent Alexander-Arnold for the Madrid defender’s former Liverpool team-mate Diaz to reach and stroke home past Lunin in the 41st minute.

Kane, who was a doubt to start because of an ankle problem, did not seem fully fit but made an even bigger impact less than a minute into the second half.

Olise cut the ball back to him on the edge of the box and Kane fizzed a curling effort into the bottom corner to double Bayern’s lead.

It was his 11th Champions League strike this season, trailing only Mbappe, and his 49th goal across all competitions.

Vinicius had a fine chance to pull one back for Real when Upamecano badly fluffed a header back to Neuer, but the goalkeeper came out well to pressure the Brazilian into slicing his shot into the side-netting.

Neuer, who made a mistake which allowed Madrid to launch a late comeback at the Bernabeu and knock out Bayern in the 2024 semi-finals, made a brilliant save to thwart Mbappe once more.

The former Paris Saint-Germain striker swerved a shot wide from a tight angle as Madrid scrambled for a way back into the tie.

With Bellingham on as a substitute, Madrid stepped up a level and eventually found the net with Alexander-Arnold making amends for his part in Bayern’s opener.

The right-back guided a low cross to the far post and this time Mbappe did beat Neuer, smashing home off the crossbar after 74 minutes.

Bayern angrily roared back with Kane volleying wide as they tried to restore their advantage, but instead they take a slender lead back to Bavaria for next Wednesday’s second leg.