Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka found himself in a heated confrontation with injured Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal during the half-time break of their Champions League quarter-final clash at the Bernabeu.
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Tensions flared as Saka was walking down the tunnel following a frustrating first half, in which his attempted Panenka penalty was comfortably saved by Thibaut Courtois. ..Continue Reading
Out of nowhere, Carvajal—currently sidelined with an ACL injury suffered in October—grabbed Saka by the neck and then raised a hand towards him, sparking an angry altercation.
The two exchanged words in a tense face-off, with Saka visibly irritated by the unexpected provocation. Arsenal substitute Ben White quickly stepped in to support his teammate as others gathered around to defuse the situation.
Though it’s unclear what Carvajal said to trigger the clash, it’s possible he was mocking Saka for his soft penalty miss earlier in the game.
The spot-kick had been awarded after referee Francois Letexier ruled that Raul Asencio had fouled Mikel Merino during a corner, but Saka’s chipped effort was easily dealt with by Courtois.
Commentating on BBC Radio Five Live, the former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson said: “I just can’t believe the selection of penalty here from Bukayo Saka. I am so surprised. It’s such a bad penalty. He’s chipped it to the side Thibaut Courtois dives to.”
TNT Sports pundit Ally McCoist said: “I can’t believe it. The goalkeeper does unbelievable. It’s not a great pen. He gives the goalkeeper an opportunity to lift a left hand, and the left hand is strong.”
However, Saka ultimately got his revenge on Carvajal and Real Madrid in the second half, breaking the deadlock in the 65th minute with a composed finish after being set up by Mikel Merino.
Real responded almost immediately through Vinicius Jr, who capitalized on a mistake by William Saliba to level the score.
Despite that, Arsenal’s solid defensive performance limited Madrid’s chances and effectively shut the door on any hopes of overturning the 3-0 deficit from the first leg.
Gabriel Martinelli then sealed the victory in stoppage time, making it 2-1 on the night and confirming Arsenal’s place in the semi-finals.
