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Arsenal staved off Champions League holders Real Madrid’s superstars and rich history of unlikely comebacks to snatch a 2-1 victory on Wednesday and reach the semi-finals with a superb 5-1 aggregate triumph.

The Gunners’ 3-0 quarter-final first leg triumph last week gave them a vital cushion in the Spanish capital as they made the final four for the first time since 2009, where they will face Paris Saint-Germain.

Bukayo Saka, who missed a first-half penalty, sent Arsenal ahead and although Vinicius Junior levelled the 15-time winners were never close to making up the deficit.

Gabriel Martinelli rubbed salt in their wounds with a stoppage-time winner for Arsenal, who have never lifted the Champions League trophy.

Los Blancos, far more brittle than when they won a Champions League and La Liga double last season, were convinced they could turn the game around but created too little against Arsenal’s tight defence. The Premier League side held their nerve to reach the semi-finals for only the third time in their history.

Kylian Mbappe chested home in the opening stages but was clearly offside, with the forward gesturing to the crowd to turn up the volume to create the fabled aura which helps Madrid pull off near-impossible feats at the Santiago Bernabeu. David Alaba was booked for hacking down Saka as Madrid tried to add the grit they badly lacked in their first leg demolition in London, and the Arsenal winger also had a drive fielded well by Thibaut Courtois.

Arsenal were awarded a penalty seemingly out of the blue when the VAR booth instructed French referee Francois Letexier to review an incident from an earlier corner.

Raul Asencio pulled back Arsenal forward Mikel Merino in the area and Letexier pointed to the spot, to the bemusement of the home crowd. Saka stepped up to take it but his poorly-executed Panenka, skewing off to the left, was saved by Courtois.

Inter hold off Bayern to reach Champions League last fourInter Milan reached the semi-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday after drawing 2-2 with Bayern Munich to win a pulsating last-eight tie 4-3 on aggregate.

Italian champions Inter will face Barcelona in the semis after goals in the space of three minutes from captain Lautaro Martinez and Benjamin Pavard cancelled out a Harry Kane strike for Bayern which levelled the tie in the 52nd minute. Eric Dier’s looping header in the 75th minute earned Bayern a draw on the night in soaking and blustery Milan but that wasn’t enough for Vincent Kompany’s side to continue their bid to be crowned Kings of Europe for a seventh time. Simone Inzaghi’s side came through in awful conditions at the San Siro where a combination of heavy rain and driving winds affected both teams’ ability to play their best football, but added uncertainty and tension to an already highly-charged occasion.

Real Madrid’s preparations for their all- important UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg against Arsenal took on new life on Tuesday night.

According to a report from Defensa Central, the players gathered at Valdebebas to watch the european fixtures together, and what they witnessed fuelled their belief.

With Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain collapsing in their respective ties, the Madrid players discovered renewed motivation, leaving the viewing session with a shared experience of belief: “We can do everything tomorrow, for sure.”

Optimism around the corner

The message that echoed around the complex became clear—if others can come near, so can they.
It must be noted that Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund both managed to score three goals against PSG and Barcelona respective, exactly the number of goals Real Madrid need just to level things with Arsenal.

While both teams were eventually eliminated, their efforts inspired the Real Madrid players as it showed just how quickly a tie can shift, especially with home support and attacking ambition.

Madrid’s belief fueled by past comebacks 

Despite the daunting 0-3 defeat from the first leg, belief within the Real Madrid dressing room is only growing stronger.
This group has constructed a legacy on comebacks and big moments in the Champions League, particularly at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The players recognize that their mission is tough, but no longer impossible—mainly when considering the expertise they have at their disposal.

It is said that The squad is completely aware of the importance of defensive discipline, especially given the away goals situation.
If Arsenal manage to score even once, Madrid will need to hit four, making it essential that they stay compact at the back while going all-out in attack.
Internally, the mood is focused and intense. The players recognize they have to give everything on the pitch. From veterans to young stars, every player knows what is at stake and what needs to be done.

Barcelona and Paris St Germain survived spirited comebacks from Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa respectively to reach the Champions League semi-finals.
Barca, who began with a 4-0 aggregate lead, were stunned by a Serhou Guirassy hat-trick in the second leg of their quarter-final at Signal Iduna Park but held on to progress 5-3 overall after a 3-1 loss.

PSG looked to be cruising through after following up their 3-1 first-leg victory by racing into a 2-0 lead at Villa Park but the Premier League outfit hit back to win 3-2 on the night.

Dortmund went all-out attack in the hope of pulling off an unlikely recovery and deserved to lead by more than Guirassy’s 11th-minute penalty at the break.

Guirassy finally doubled the lead after 49 minutes but Dortmund’s momentum was halted when Ramy Bensebaini turned into his own net.

Dortmund rallied again and Guirassy completed his treble 14 minutes from time but it was not enough as Barca held on to reach the last four for the first time in six years.

Villa also fell short despite producing a heroic response to goals from Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes in the opening 27 minutes.
Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Ezri Konsa all struck as Villa got within one goal of taking the tie to extra-time but PSG just did enough and prevailed 5-4 on aggregate.

UEFA will consider changing the seeding rules for next season’s European competitions amid criticism that Arsenal will play the second leg of their huge Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid away from home despite finishing ahead of them in the league table.
Current rules of the revamped competitions mean that teams that finished in the top eight are only guaranteed to play the pivotal second legs at home in the last 16.

Who would have the advantage of a home quarter-final or semi-final was decided by a random draw – with the Gunners without a home second leg for the rest of the tournament.

That left Arsenal, who finished third in the 36-team Champions League table, forced to play their quarter-final second leg against European champions Real Madrid, who finished 11th, at the Bernabeu.

Arsenal were dumped out of the competition in the quarter-final last season after losing the second leg away to Bayern Munich.
Thankfully for Mikel Arteta’s side, they take a three-goal advantage into their second leg in Madrid on Wednesday night after Declan Rice’s heroics at the Emirates.

However, they will again face an away second leg in the semi-final if they make it through to face the winner of Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain.

There’s a growing belief that having seeded second legs only for the last 16 does not give enough reward to the clubs who flourished in the league stage and Katikaa Sport understands UEFA chiefs will discuss whether to make a change for next season.

Bosses have already rejected calls to scrap extra-time in the knockout phases, despite growing concerns over player welfare in a jam-packed calendar, for fears it might result in more boring, negative football.
Uefa’s club competition committee discussed a proposal to change the rules but decided against sending any knockout games that were still level after 90 minutes straight to penalties.

They believed weaker teams would spend the closing stages of games playing for penalties instead of pushing for a winner.

Nearly 60 per cent of the Champions League knockout matches that have gone to extra time since the away goals rule was scrapped have been decided before penalties with around half in the Europa League and Conference League.

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has reportedly become a minority owner at a Championship club.
For a number of months, speculation has continued regarding the 39-year-old’s long-term future at the Bernabeu courtesy of his contract being due to expire at the end of the season.

Making a renewal official appears to be a formality, Modric known to want to extend his stay at Los Blancos for at least another 12 months.
Nevertheless, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Croatia international has agreed to make the step into football ownership.

Which Championship club has Modric joined?

Commenting on X, Romano says that Modric has become a new minority owner in Swansea City, who currently sit in 12th position in the Championship table.
The report stresses that Modric is not retiring from professional football and still aims to pen a new contract with Real Madrid.

Modric is no stranger to English football having spent four years between 2008 and 2012 playing in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur.
As a player, Modric has only ever made one visit to the club’s stadium, featuring in a 1-1 draw during the 2011-12 campaign.

However, it now appears that he is prepared to commit a level of investment to try to aid Swansea’s attempts to return to England’s top flight.

What is the challenge facing Modric?

Sitting eight points adrift of the playoffs and 12 points above the relegation zone with four matches remaining, it is fair to assume that Swansea will be playing second-tier football next season.

Alan Sheehan is currently in charge of an interim basis until the end of the season, Swansea having accumulated 14 points from eight games under the replacement for Luke Williams since the end of February.
Modric will presumably play a part in deciding whether Sheehan remains in the dugout or a higher-profile name is brought to the Swansea.com Stadium.

Barcelona defender Maria ‘Mapi’ Leon has received a suspension for her actions earlier this season, where she was accused of inappropriate touching during a game against city rivals Espanyol. Leon has denied doing so

During Barcelona Femeni’s 2-0 win over Espanyol in February, Leon appeared to have touched the genitals of Espanyol player Daniela Caracas, as the two jostled before a set piece was taken. Leon is also alleged to have said something disrespectful too, both of which she has denied.

In a statement from Leon, published by Barcelona, she claims that she touched Caracas’ leg, and that ‘the images are clear’. She also denies at any point endangering the intimacy of another professional, as it was put in a statement by Espanyol on the matter. This has been disputed by Espanyol, who describe the action as ‘inadmissable and unacceptable’, saying they would support Caracas in whatever course of action that she decided to take.

So far, the Colombian footballer has not taken any legal action against Leon, but Espanyol did file a complaint to the Competition Committee though. However the Disciplinary Committee have done so, as reported by RAC1. Leon was suspended by the Competition Committee for two games due to ‘unsporting conduct’, missing Barcelona’s 6-0 win over Atletico Madrid on Sunday. The 29-year-old will also be absent from their clash against Sevilla on Wednesday.
Leon and Barcelona did appeal the verdict to the Administrative Tribunal for Sport (TAD), but were unsuccessful, with the ban being upheld. Caracas is yet to comment publicly on the matter.

Thus far, Barcelona have supported Leon in her version of events, and no investigation has been conducted. Leon has been outspoken about the sexism suffered by women’s football in Spain, refusing to return to the national team due to treatment she received during her time there, which she alleged was inappropriate and unprofessional.

Andre Onana’s catalogue of mistakes for Manchester United since his move from Inter Milan means Ruben Amorim faces the prospect of accepting his fate and signing a new number one.
The goalkeeper’s latest additions to his collection of errors came in midweek with him single-handedly handing Lyon a chance of knocking United out of the Europa League.

After letting the ball from Thiago Almada’s free-kick somehow make its way into the roof of his net, Onana’s tame shot-stopping allowed Rayan Cherki a free shot to make it 2-2 after the first-leg.

As a result, Onana is understood to have been left out of United’s squad for today’s Premier League clash with Newcastle United. Sources say that the 29-year-old has been omitted from the squad so that he will be available for Lyon.
Whether Amorim hands him a place in his starting XI at Old Trafford on Thursday remains to be seen, especially if Altay Bayindir impresses against the Carabao Cup winners this afternoon. The decision comes after The Manchester Evening News revealed on Friday that the goalkeeper feared he could lose his spot after his latest mistakes.
Whatever happens with Onana and United is unclear. But if Amorim does decide to sign a new goalkeeper, he isn’t short of talented options around European football.

Diogo Costa

Porto’s Costa has been on the brink of a Premier League move for a number of years now. The 25-year-old was on United’s radar back in 2023 and his value has only increased since then.

He enters the final two years of his contract in Portugal at the end of the season and with a market value of around €38million (£33.0m). The Portugal number one would be a mainstay in United’s defence for years to come but Manchester City have been linked with him to replace Ederson. If United want Costa, they’ll need to act fast.

Lucas Chevalier

Perhaps a cheaper option to Costa. Lille’s Lucas Chevalier has impressed with his performances in France since replacing Mike Maignan. At 23, the Frenchman has kept 10 clean sheets in Ligue 1 this term and has been linked with a move to United in recent months.

Chevalier is in a similar boat as Costa with his current contract expiring in 2027. However, with Lille in a battle for the Champions League and facing the prospect of losing out on European football, he could be available for a bargain fee.

Joan Garcia

Another goalkeeper who has been linked with a move to Old Trafford in the past. Joan Garcia was close to joining Arsenal last summer but opted to stay in Espanyol for their return to La Liga.
His performances levels have continued to impress with 3.62 saves per 90 in a side that has struggled for defensive security. Espanyol are looking likely to stay in the top flight of Spanish football.
Yesterday, the 23-year-old pulled off a string of excellent saves to keep out Celta Vigo. Being young and Spanish, the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid are both keeping tabs, which tells a story in itself.

Zion Suzuki

Suzuki is a goalkeeper United supporters will be aware of. The Parma star is reportedly on United’s radar with the Italian side said to value him at around £40million. The Japan international has shone in a relegation battle after moving to the Serie A outfit. In 2023, United came close to signing him from Urawa Red Diamonds before he decided to move elsewhere.
That was under Erik ten Hag. United are now under Amorim and Suzuki has demonstrated his ability to perform against some of Europe’s best strikers.

Andriy Lunin

Should United wait on Garcia and he move to Madrid, Andriy Lunin will be available. The Ukraine international has been second-choice to Thibaut Courtois, but when called-up, has shown more than enough to be a regular at a top side.
At 26, the former Zorya Luhansk shot-stopper is about to enter his peak. His signing would be a wildcard option with him not having the pedigree as a regular number one but is a valuable option heading in the summer.

Anatoliy Trubin

The youngest goalkeeper on this list is Benfica’s Anatoliy Trubin. Since moving to Portugal from Shakhtar Donetsk, the 23-year-old has become Ukraine’s number one and one of the best-performing goalkeepers outside of Europe’s top five divisions.
His statistics show that he is a decent shot-stopper with 1.96 per 90 against an average of 2.85 each game. He would be more of a risk with his age and lack of experience at the top level.

Aston Villa defeated Southampton 3-0 at St Mary’s but not without their star player missing twice from the penalty spot

Marco Asensio has publicly addressed his two missed penalties in Aston Villa’s win at Southampton.
The Spaniard saw Aaron Ramsdale save both his second half spot-kicks but his blushes were spared as Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen and John McGinn all scored to lift Villa to a 3-0 victory and fifth in the table.

Unai Emery ’s men are now well-placed, just three points of Nottingham Forest in third, to claim a Champions League qualifying spot for the second successive year.

However, not everything went according to plan at St Mary’s. Villa didn’t create much in the first half and needed Watkins to come off the bench to spark them into life.
He did just that by winning a penalty, which Asensio hit too close to Ramsdale, before opening the scoring himself. Malen made it 2-0 and then McGinn drew a second foul in the area.

Asensio went the same way and but this time Ramsdale could only turn his effort back to McGinn to ram home.
Asensio, who is on loan from Paris Saint-Germain took to social media to address the issue and said: “Sometimes these things can happen, the most important is to keep trying. Happy for another 3 points away. Thank you for the support villans!”
Meanwhile Emery admitted he will consider who is on penalties when Villa face PSG in the quarter-final second leg on Tuesday evening. He said: “I think it is normal that his challenge is to get the second one after the first one. It is clear which penalty shooter is first.

“We have our penalty shooter and the first one is Marcus Rashford. The second one is Asensio. Third ones are Tielemans, McGinn and Watkins.
“They are responsible when penalties are coming. We have to accept it and decide for the next match.”

Leeds United have had a strong connection to Italy in the past few years. Two of the club’s majority shareholders in the past have been Italians.
In 2014, Massimo Cellino and his family consortium Eleonora Sport Ltd agreed to purchase a 75% majority stake in Leeds United. The Football League rejected the proposal, but Cellino appealed the decision and eventually won. He took control of the club, and his time in charge was filled with controversy.

Andrea Radrizzani was the next Italian to buy a majority stake in the club, acquiring Cellino’s shares and becoming the full owner. His time at the club was memorable, as Leeds bought back Elland Road and were promoted to the Premier League for the first time in decades.

Now, Leeds United are in the news in Italy for the wrong reasons. According to reports from the region, a major betting scandal has been uncovered. Leeds defender Junior Firpo was named among up to 14 players set to be under investigation. Corriere della Sera has named Firpo in a long list of names including Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali and former Leeds loanee Weston McKennie.
USMNT star McKennie was on loan at Elland Road for the 2022/23 season.
The report claims these players are under investigation for illegal online betting. There’s no evidence that Firpo and other players involved ever gambled on football games. Their names were only listed after findings when some suspects were interviewed.

What does this mean for the club?

As of now, nothing criminal has been discovered in the findings. The report says that the potential punishment for investigated players is a fine of around €250 if found guilty. The Italian Football Federation could open a new investigation, to find out if any of the players mentioned gambled on football matches.

If found guilty, the ban could be extensive. In 2023, Sandro Tonali was banned from playing football for 10 months for breaching Italian betting regulations. The Football Association also handed Tonali a suspended ban.

Since Firpo has not been charged yet, he can continue playing for Leeds United. But if he is found guilty later, he could face a lengthy ban. Football Association rules in England prohibit players from engaging in betting activity on football matches.

Former West Ham midfielder Dimitri Payet is under police investigation after being accused of ‘physical, psychological and sexual violence’ against a woman in Brazil.
Larissa Natalya Ferrari, a 28-year-old lawyer, said in her testimony to Brazilian authorities that ‘she was attacked by Payet, leaving marks on her body, and suffered physical, moral, psychological and sexual violence’.
According to police documents, the attacks took place between January 25 and February 6 this year.
Larissa alleges that she had an extramarital relationship from September 2024 to March of this year with 38-year-old Payet, who has been married for 18 years and has four children.

In an interview with Brazilian outlet G1, Larissa detailed the alleged abuse she received during her relationship with Payet, who now plays for Brazilian side Vasco da Gama.

The first signs of aggression were in December. I asked for two tickets to Vasco and Atletico Mineiro, one for me and one for my friend. And my friend posted a photo of this courtesy without his name appearing and published it on Instagram,’ Larissa said.

And he [Payet] got very angry with me. It was the first time he really offended me, used psychological pressure on me and it was the first time we argued.
‘From that day on, he started to talk about punishment because I had disappointed him.
‘I started to feel emotionally violated because he had already started to put pressure on me.

‘During sexual intercourse, he started to hit me, step on my face, my body. I was afraid to say anything because I knew it was a punishment for my mistake and if I didn’t accept the punishment, I could lose him. So, yeah, I ended up accepting it.
‘Dimitri knew about my psychological problems, using this against me. Dimitri convinced me to put my head in the trash, in the toilet, made me drink my own urine and other sexual bizarre acts.’
Larissa has revealed that she has left Rio de Janeiro and is currently undergoing psychological and psychiatric treatment.

In a separate interview with Metropole, Larissa said: ‘He always used this term ‘punishment’. He made me believe that I was guilty and deserved to be punished. And I believed it.

Mohamed Salah is on track to achieve the best individual Premier League season in history after committing his future to Liverpool.
The Reds talisman has signed a new two-year deal as a reward for a campaign where he has consistently rewritten the record books.

The Egyptian has put up numbers comparable with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo en route to breaking his own record for the most Fantasy Premier League points scored in a season.
Overall, Salah already has 44 goal contributions in the top-flight alone this term and has another seven games to break all records.
The 32-year-old is just three short of the Premier League record, but he’s already level for the best individual tally in a 38-game season.

Who has the record for most goals and assists in a Premier League season?

Alan Shearer and Andy Cole share the mantle for the most goal contributions in a single Premier League season with 47.

Shearer achieved the feat in Blackburn’s title-winning campaign in 1994/95, with Cole doing the same for Newcastle the year before.

However, an important distinction is that both of those achievements came in a 42-game season when the Premier League had 22 teams.
Since the introduction of a 38-game season in 1995/96, Thierry Henry and Erling Haaland share the record with 44 goal contributions each.

Arsenal’s iconic Frenchman Henry scored 24 goals and provided 20 assists during his historic 2002/03 campaign.

Haaland, meanwhile, matched that contribution in his opening season in England, scoring 36 goals and providing eight assists.
That latter achievement is the most goals scored in a single Premier League campaign, with the Norwegian two ahead of Cole.

Kevin De Bruyne and Henry are tied for the most assists in a single season, having laid on 20 in 2019-20 and that 02/03 campaign, respectively.
The joint record is somewhat controversial, with Man City superstar De Bruyne believing he should hold the feat outright and that some of his assists that year were wrongfully taken from him.
As reported by goal, De Bruyne said: “I have got two more – you guys took two away from me that I am still claiming so for me I was already above [Henry].
“It is what it is. I need my teammates, obviously I am creating for them to score, and I am grateful when they do. It is nice to have [the record] and it is nice to have it with Thierry.”

Ironically, both of his alleged assists came against Arsenal, with De Bruyne’s cross for Raheem Sterling’s goal in a 3-0 win in December 2019 taking a slight deflection so didn’t get counted.
In the reverse fixture, KDB teed up Sterling again that June but missed out on the assist as the ball hit David Luiz on the thigh.

The Cameroon international allowed Thiago Almada’s soft free-kick to skip past him the day after being called “one of the worst goalkeepers” in United’s history in a pre-match spat involving the club’s former midfielder Nemanja Matic, now with Lyon.
Teenage defender Leny Yoro equalised just before half-time and Joshua Zirkzee’s header in the 88th minute looked to have won the game for United at Groupama Stadium.
But Onana failed to hold Georges Mikautadze’s low shot deep into stoppage time and Rayan Cherki poked home the rebound, leaving the tie in the balance ahead of the return clash at Trafford next week.
United manager Ruben Amorim was quick to defend Onana and turn his attention to the second leg.

“It can happen. If you play football, and we play a lot of games, you can make mistakes,” he said. “There is nothing I can say to Andre in this moment that will help.”
“We have one more game to change everything and that should be our focus,” he added.
United’s ability to rebuild a squad in danger of the club’s worst top-flight finish since relegation in 1974 likely hinges on sealing a return to the Champions League.
Winning the Europa League is the only way they can qualify for the elite competition. Failure to do so is predicted to cost United at least £100 million ($127.6 million) at a time when the club’s financial headroom is already minimal.

In a measure of how far both clubs, particularly United, have fallen, this was their first meeting since the last 16 of the 2007-08 Champions League.
Back then, both were at their peaks. United went on to win their third European crown. Lyon scooped the last of seven consecutive French titles.
Perhaps no player has encapsulated United’s domestic woes this term more than Rasmus Hojlund, whose five goals in Europe outnumber the three he’s managed in the Premier League.
The Denmark striker scuffed an inviting chance horribly wide from Patrick Dorgu’s cut-back as United gradually began to threaten, with Lyon defender Moussa Niakhate getting a key touch to divert a crisp Bruno Fernandes effort over the bar.

Onana the centre of attention

Any momentum United had built dissipated when Onana failed to keep out Almada’s free-kick. The goalkeeper was already in the spotlight after Matic’s jibe.
The ex-United midfielder’s stinging rebuke came in response to Onana claiming the Red Devils were “way better” than their opponents, comments that Amorim insisted were taken out of context.
Having loudly jeered his every touch, Lyon fans revelled in Onana’s misfortune as he allowed Almada’s curling set-piece to bounce off his gloves and nestle in the far corner.

United equalised at the end of the half as Manuel Ugarte hooked the ball back into the box after Lucas Perri punched away Fernandes’ free-kick, and Yoro glanced home his first goal for the club.

Alexandre Lacazette sliced wide moments after coming on early in the second half following brilliant work from Mikautadze, who weaved past a series of defenders.
Corentin Tolisso pierced the United defence but shot tamely at Onana. Perri had to react sharply to tip over from Garnacho as the Argentine connected with Dorgu’s cross.
Casemiro headed the resulting corner narrowly wide before Lacazette blazed over another good chance for Lyon, but the drama was far from complete.

Zirkzee powered a header past Perri after a brilliant ball in from Fernandes only for United’s joy to be cut short in the fifth minute of added time when Cherki pounced on another Onana handling error to level.
“I think we deserve even better than a draw. We played really well, but we know there is a second leg to come and we will go there to win, that’s all,” Cherki told Canal Plus.