FOOTBALL – Bayern Munich’s Luis Diaz and Michael Olise scored late goals to give the hosts a dramatic 4-3 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals last night and send them into the last four 6-4 on aggregate after a thrilling tie.
Diaz struck in the 89th minute and Olise in stoppage time to seal Bayern’s place in the semis where they will play holders Paris St Germain.
In a pulsating first half, Real took the lead three times, with Arda Guler pouncing on a terrible mistake by Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer in the first minute before whipping a free kick into the top corner in the 29th after Bayern had levelled through an Aleksandar Pavlovic header.
Harry Kane put the hosts, 2-1 winners in the first leg in Spain, level with his 12th goal in the competition this season before the visitors hit the woodwork through Vinicius Jr., who delivered a perfect assist in the 42nd minute for Kylian Mbappe to make it 3-2.
Real were reduced to 10 men in the 86th minute after substitute Eduardo Camavinga earned his second booking and Bayern took full advantage.
Meanwhile, Arsenal edged past Sporting to reach thesemi-finals for the second successive season with a 0-0 home draw earning them a 1-0 aggregate victory.
It was far from convincing though for Mikel Arteta’s side as they held on to the lead given to them by Kai Havertz’s stoppage-time goal in Lisbon last week.
The well-organised visitors posed a threat at times and almost went ahead on the night shortly before halftime when Geny Catamo’s volley clipped the outside of the post.
Arsenal substitute Leandro Trossard also struck the woodwork in the tense latter stages of a dour game in which Sporting ran out of ideas and could not prevent the hosts keeping an eighth clean sheet in 12 Champions League games this season to set up a semi-final clash with Atletico Madrid. While the result was ultimately all that mattered, Arsenal again lacked spark and suffered an injury scare ahead of Sunday’s colossal Premier League clash at Manchester City when Noni Madueke was forced off after a bang to the knee.
“We are delighted, it was a really tough test over two games,” Arsenal captain Declan Rice said. “To get to back-to-back semi-finals is an amazing achievement and now we want to go one step further.”
Arsenal bowed out in the semi-finals last season to eventual winners Paris St Germain and they will have to improve against a dangerous Atletico side if they are to reach the final for only the second time, having lost to Barcelona in 2006.
As huge as last night’s match was, the looming clash with Manchester City which could make or break Arsenal’s Premier League title quest was impossible to ignore.
Arsenal appeared to play with the handbrake on, managing only one effort on target, and they could have paid the price with Sporting’s Joao Simoes going agonisingly close with a shot with the last kick of the game.
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