Arsenal won 1-0 in added time at Sporting Portugal in the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League on Tuesday in Lisbon, taking an option for qualification.
Published on: 04/07/2026 - 11:34 p.m. Modified on: 04/07/2026 - 11:47 p.m.
Arsenal made the difference in the very last minutes on Tuesday evening April 7 in Lisbon, winning 1-0 against Sporting Portugal in the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League, taking an option for qualification.
It was not until the 91st minute that everything changed at the José Alvalade stadium. Served by Gabriel Martinelli, German striker Kai Havertz appeared in the area and finished from close range. The two teams had until then delivered a balanced match, disrupted by the rain, leaving the suspense intact until the end.
An undecided match
Sporting, undefeated at home on the European scene this season, started the meeting with ambition. In the 7th minute, Maximiliano Araujo had the first big chance but his powerful shot hit the crossbar.
Stung, the Londoners reacted quickly and tried to impose their tempo, creating a few chances, annihilated by a well-organized Lisbon defense. Despite a clear domination in possession of the ball, Mikel Arteta's Gunners struggled to find solutions and unbalance the opposing block.
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Before the break, captain Martin Odegaard tried his luck with his right foot at the edge of the area, but his shot lacked power and Rui Silva caught the ball without difficulty.
In the second half, the Gunners looked for tactical solutions to be sharper. But it was again Sporting who proved dangerous: served on the left, Francisco Trincao, although well placed, missed his shot and the ball slipped narrowly past David Raya's goal.
In the 63rd minute, Spaniard Martin Zubimendi thought he could open the score with a powerful strike from the edge of the area, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Haavertz savior, Gyökeres discreet
Currently leader of the Premier League, Arsenal is however going through a more delicate period. In a few weeks, the London club saw two of its title hopes disappear, with a League Cup final lost against Manchester City, then especially a surprise elimination in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup on Saturday against the second division club Southampton (2-1).
Unable to win any major trophy in recent years, the London club hoped to set the record straight in Lisbon.
The meeting also had a strong symbolic value for Viktor Gyökeres, formerly of Sporting recruited by Arsenal and warmly applauded by the 50,000 Lisbon spectators.
But on the pitch, the Swedish striker, author of 97 goals in 102 appearances in the green and white jersey before his summer transfer for 76 million euros, remained discreet.
The second leg will take place in eight days at the Emirates Stadium.
With AFP
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