Arsenal beats Porto on penalties to reach Champions League quarterfinals

Arsenal advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the first time since 2010 by defeating Porto 4-2 in a penalty shootout on Tuesday. This ended a streak of seven eliminations in the round of 16.

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Porto arrived at the Emirates with a 1-0 lead from the first leg, but Leandro Trossard equalized for Arsenal in the first half with a perfect finish, assisted by Martin Ødegaard's smart reverse pass.

Despite constant pressure from both Arsenal and the opposing team, neither side was able to score a goal to win the match. As a result, the game ended in a 1-1 aggregate result, leading to an extra 30 minutes of play. Unfortunately, during the extra time, neither team was able to create any dangerous chances, and the match was ultimately decided through a penalty shootout.

David Raya, the goalkeeper of the winning team, became the hero of the match. He saved two penalties from Brazilians Wendell and Galeno during the shootout, propelling his team into the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League.

Barcelona also secured their spot in the knockout round with a comfortable 3-1 win over Napoli, thanks to goals from Fermin Lopez, Joao Cancelo, and Robert Lewandowski on Tuesday night.

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Arsenal's Next Game

Arsenal will have to wait almost three weeks for their next game due to the postponement of their Premier League home fixture against Chelsea. The postponement is due to the Blues' participation in the FA Cup this weekend, which is then followed by an international break. The Gunners will return to action in a crucial title clash against Manchester City on March 31 at the Etihad Stadium. The match will start at 4:30 p.m.

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Teams That Have Already Booked Their Spot in the UEFA Quarterfinals

As of March 12, 2024, six teams have already secured their spot in the UEFA Champions League, while the remaining four teams will play against each other tomorrow for the remaining two spots. In total, eight teams will qualify for the tournament. Here are the teams that have already confirmed their participation in the 2023–24 quarterfinals of the Champions League: