Saka puts Arsenal into Champions League final as Atlético toil
Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg soccer match between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium. John Walton/PA Wire/dpa Bukayo Saka's first-half goal sent Arsenal into the Champions League final for only the second time after a 1-0 home win over Atlético Madrid on Tuesday. The Londoners prevailed 2-1 on aggregate in the battle between arguably the two biggest men's clubs never to have won Europe's top club football prize.
Unbeaten Arsenal will meet Bayern Munich or holders Paris Saint-Germain in the final in Budapest on May 30. The pair play their second leg in Germany on Wednesday, with PSG 5-4 up from an epic first leg. In the 1-1 first leg in Madrid last week, the Premier League leaders had a penalty controversially overturned on video review but this time they would not be denied in the London rain.
The Gunners came into the game boosted by Manchester City drawing at Everton in the Premier League on Monday, handing the leaders the advantage in the English title race. Riccardo Calafiori fired wide after a solid start for the hosts while Atléti, fourth domestically, saw Declan Rice superbly deny Giuliano Simeone with a last-ditch tackle. The breakthrough came just before the break when Leandro Trossard's shot was saved by Jan Oblak and captain Saka tapped in.
It was the England winger's third goal of a Champions League campaign in which Arsenal had finished top in the league phase with eight wins from eight - including against Bayern. Simeone had a big chance to equalize in the second half following William Saliba's poor header, but Gabriel did enough and avoided conceding a penalty. Arsenal hung on, inflicting Atléti's fourth defeat in four visits to England this season.