Arsenal have secured their place in the Champions League quarter-finals for a second consecutive season, cruising past PSV Eindhoven with a dominant 9-3 aggregate win. They are now set to face Real Madrid in the last eight, following a much tighter contest in Spain that saw Carlo Ancelotti’s side narrowly advance.
Real Madrid overcame an early setback when Conor Gallagher scored inside the first minute to level the tie. Despite Vinicius Junior missing a penalty in the second half, Real Madrid held on and eventually won in a penalty shootout — echoing their victory in the 2016 final.
In contrast, Arsenal’s progression was far more straightforward. Mikel Arteta’s men comfortably managed the game, even resting key players from their 1-1 draw with Manchester United last weekend, as they prepare for a crucial Premier League clash against Chelsea. Oleksandr Zinchenko opened the scoring with a brilliant strike, further asserting Arsenal’s dominance over both legs.
PSV did find moments to celebrate, with former Tottenham winger Ivan Perisic curling in a stunning equalizer within 20 minutes, energizing their traveling supporters. PSV nearly went ahead on the night, but David Raya made an important save, tipping a long-range effort around the post.
Declan Rice restored Arsenal’s lead with a commanding header — making it 9-2 on aggregate — following a strong run and cross from Raheem Sterling. PSV pulled one back through Couhaib Driouech, who capitalized on a defensive error from Jorginho and chipped Raya with a classy finish.
Arsenal now face nearly a month-long wait before their quarter-final clash. First, they’ll host Chelsea, followed by the international break. Arteta hopes Bukayo Saka will return to fitness in time for their April 1 match against Fulham, which kicks off a busy schedule including a trip to Everton before the first leg against Real Madrid.
The first leg of the quarter-final will be held at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, April 8, with the return leg in Madrid set for Wednesday, April 16. Sandwiched between those fixtures, Arsenal will face Brentford in a Premier League home game on Saturday, April 12.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid will visit Villarreal this weekend, face Leganes on March 29 post-international break, and host Real Sociedad and Valencia before traveling to London. They’ll then play Alaves before hosting Arsenal for the second leg. Currently, Madrid are tied with Barcelona at the top of La Liga, with Atletico Madrid just one point behind.
Should Arsenal progress, they could meet either Paris Saint-Germain or Aston Villa in the semi-finals. PSG recently knocked Liverpool out in a dramatic penalty shootout after a 12th-minute equalizer from Ousmane Dembele, with no further goals separating the teams.