1….Arsenal run riot against PSV by 7 goals to 1
By Emmanuel Abi Couson
Real Madrid will take a narrow 2-1 lead into the second-leg decider of their Champions League last-16 tie against rivals Atletico Madrid.
Brahim Diaz’s wonderful second-half goal for the holders settled Tuesday night’s highly-anticipated Madrid derby at the Santiago Bernabeu, after sensational strikes from Rodrygo and Julian Alvarez had the game level at the interval.
It was an electric start in a bouncing atmosphere in the Spanish capital, where Real Madrid paid tribute to late defender Javier Dorado before kick-off.
The hosts were ahead inside just four minutes when Rodrygo got in behind Javi Galan to collect a through ball into the right channel from the fit-again Federico Valverde, cutting inside and leaving Clement Lenglet behind before curling an unstoppable left-footed effort beyond Jan Oblak and into the far corner.
Rodrygo was inspired early on and could have had a penalty after being pulled down inside the box by the struggling Javi Galan, but French referee Clement Turpin was unmoved and the decision was checked and cleared by VAR.
Jose Maria Gimenez threw out a trailing leg to block a low effort from Vinicius Jr, who also had a tame low strike held by Oblak while the latter later pushed away a dangerous Rodrygo free-kick that just evaded the head of a leaping Antonio Rudiger.
But Atletico responded well to that early setback and quickly got their bearings, with stand-in Real captain Valverde – again operating at right-back, as he did against Manchester City in the knockout play-offs – making two crucial interventions to deny Samuel Lino an equaliser.
But there was nothing Real Madrid could do about Alvarez’s leveller just after the half-hour mark as the former Manchester City striker got the better of Eduardo Camavinga before bending an amazing strike in at the far post to leave Thibaut Courtois with no chance.
Atleti were enjoying plenty of possession to leave the home fans whistling louder and louder in frustration, showing trademark energy and determination under Diego Simeone to win the ball back extremely quickly every time they lost it.
The quiet Kylian Mbappe failed to trouble Oblak with a low strike from range after half-time, with Ferland Mendy then making an important block to thwart Rodrigo De Paul at the other end before Real Madrid retook the lead out of nowhere.
Vinicius Jr played in Brahim, who left Gimenez on the deck with some lovely fast and tricky footwork inside the box before expertly picking out the far bottom corner.
Real Madrid looked far more comfortable thereafter and played with much more freedom in attack, while Atletico appeared rather content to take only a narrow deficit back home to the Metropolitano Stadium for the all-important second leg as their intensity levels greatly dipped after falling behind again.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side really should have made it 3-1 in stoppage time as Mbappe got free inside the box, but his cut back from the byline was played too far behind Vinicius Jr, who was then denied by a fine block from Gimenez.
Meanwhile Arsenal run riot of PSV hitting them with 7 goals that is surely secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The stunning 7-1 win over PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their last-16 clash at the Philips Stadion makes it impossible for the Dutch team to have any hope at Emirates next week Wednesday in the reverse fixture.
Jurrien Timber opened the scoring after 18 minutes before teenager Ethan Nwaneri and Mikel Merino extended Arsenal’s advantage inside half an hour.
Noa Lang gave PSV hope from the penalty spot only for Martin Odegaard to score 60 seconds after the restart, with Leandro Trossard landing a fifth one minute later.
Odegaard doubled his tally with 17 minutes remaining and Riccardo Calafiori completed the devastating rout, Arsenal’s biggest in a Champions League away fixture, in the closing minutes.
The Gunners, without a recognised striker, have been abject and short of goals in the Premier League as their title chances have evaporated.
However, Mikel Arteta’s men answered Timber’s pre-match call to change the narrative with an electric performance on the European stage – admittedly against a poor PSV side – to put them on a brink of a last-eight match-up against either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid.
After Odegaard saw a penalty appeal waved away and Declan Rice had a goal ruled out for offside inside the first dozen minutes, it was PSV who actually came within inches of opening the scoring when David Raya could only get his fingertips to Ivan Perisic’s cross and Ismael Saibari struck the follow-up against the upright.
Less than two minutes later, the visitors had their breakthrough. Myles Lewis-Skelly did well in the middle of the park to find Trossard who played in Rice. A fine swivel and cross from the England man allowed ex-Ajax defender Timber to head Arsenal into the lead at the back post.
PSV had barely got their breath back when Arsenal grabbed their second, one made in the club’s Hale End academy.
Lewis-Skelly’s cross, following a defence-splitting pass from Trossard, was thundered home by Nwaneri as the 17-year-old celebrated joining Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham as only the third Englishman under the age of 18 to start a knockout game in the Champions League.
Arsenal could, and probably should, have been reduced to 10 men as Lewis-Skelly, on a booking and only just back from a one-game ban following his dismissal against West Ham, upended Richard Ledezma in the corner. Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano declined to reach for a second yellow and moments later, Arteta’s men had their third goal.
On the fifth and final day of the Eindhoven Carnival, it was comical defending from the home defence. PSV failed on multiple occasions to clear the ball, with Ryan Flamingo falling over all on his own, as Merino pounced to sweep home. The goal stood after a VAR check for offside followed as Calafiori replaced Lewis-Skelly.
The Gunners were momentarily brought back down to earth when PSV were awarded a penalty shortly before the interval after Thomas Partey’s left arm struck Luuk de Jong across the neck. Lang made no mistake from the spot and De Jong then had the opportunity to reduce Arsenal’s advantage to just one but headed Perisic’s cross over the bar.
Yet the Gunners, who had arrived in the Netherlands with three blanks from their previous four fixtures, had a fourth 61 seconds after the restart. PSV goalkeeper Walter Benitez fumbled Nwaneri’s cross and Odegaard was on the scene to fire home.
A minute later it was five as Trossard backheeled the ball through Ledezma’s legs before picking up Calafiori’s return pass and grabbing the goal his impressive performance warranted.
Out came the ‘oles’ from the 1,800 travelling Arsenal supporters and Odegaard was allowed to drive without pressure to the edge of the PSV area before unleashing a shot that Benitez found too hot to handle.
Calafiori then converted Odegaard’s pass with five minutes remaining. Seventh heaven for Arsenal ahead of next week’s virtual dead-rubber return fixture at the Emirates.
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