For the first time in 14 years, Arsenal succeeded in reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League, after defeating Porto on penalties.
The first leg at the Dragao Stadium ended with Porto winning 1-0, and Arsenal succeeded in the second leg in the Emirates by winning with the same score, resorting to penalty kicks.
Resorting to what are called “lucky kicks” may be a rare occurrence in the Champions League in the knockout stages, as history confirms.
Believe it or not, the last time penalty kicks were played in a Champions League knockout match was back in the 2016 final, specifically between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
For 8 years, all knockout round matches were decided either in regular or extra time, noting that the two-goal rule was abolished in 2021, which made it more difficult to decide matches without lucky kicks.
But the penalty shootout returns again after this long absence, taking Arsenal to the quarter-finals thanks to the brilliance of Spanish goalkeeper David Raya, who saved two kicks from Porto, and the Gunners won 4-2.
Over the past decade, the round of 16 has been Arsenal’s biggest stage in the Champions League with the London club’s historic coach, Arsene Wenger, after being eliminated from this round 7 times in a row.
But his student and favorite player, Mikel Arteta, succeeded in refuting this curse and finally passing it, but he realizes that Arsenal’s two biggest clubs are still in the tournament, namely Bayern Munich and Barcelona, who excelled in eliminating the Gunners from the round of 16 in the past decade!
