FOOTBALL – Arsenal substitute Kai Havertz scored a stoppage-time goal to snatch a 1-0 win at Sporting in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final yesterday.
The Germany forward was found unmarked inside the box by Gabriel Martinelli before calmly slotting the ball past goalkeeper Rui Silva to settle a tactical encounter.
After a first half in which Sporting’s Maxi Araujo and Arsenal’s Noni Madueke struck the woodwork, the visitors had a Martin Zubimendi effort disallowed before David Raya produced several late saves to deny the home side.
The deadlock was finally broken in added time by Havertz, who replaced the injured Martin Odegaard in the 70th minute, to secure the advantage before the return leg next Wednesday.
Arsenal may have thrashed Sporting 5-1 last season in the league stages but they were facing opponents who were brimming with confidence after their epic comeback in the previous round against Bodø/Glimt.
The Sporting manager, Rui Borges, had urged his players to seize their opportunity after reaching this stage of the competition for the first time since 1983 and named teenager João Simões to replace suspended captain Morten Hjulmand in midfield.
“They’re good, but so are we,” he said in a TV interview before kick-off.
Bayern Munich took control of their Champions League quarter-final with a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, earning a slender first-leg advantage after a high-tempo contest in the Spanish capital.
Vincent Kompany’s side struck just before halftime when Serge Gnabry slipped a precise pass through for Luis Diaz, who beat the offside trap and fired low past keeper Andriy Lunin in the 41st minute.
Bayern doubled their lead seconds after the restart as Michael Olise squared for Harry Kane to finish neatly from the edge of the box following a swift counter-attack.
Real improved after the hour and Kylian Mbappe pulled one back in the 74th minute, turning in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s low cross at the far post.
Manuel Neuer then denied Mbappe and Vinicius Jr with a series of sharp saves as the hosts pressed for an equaliser that never came.
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