Arsenal squeeze Real out

ByEurosport

Published 08/03/2006 at 21:40 GMT

Arsenal edged into the quarter-finals at the expense of Real Madrid after a thrilling goalless draw at Highbury on Wednesday. Thierry Henry's stunning first-leg strike was enough for the Gunners, but both sides hit the woodwork in a game which ebbed-and-f

Henry's summing up that it was "not a boring nil-nil" could not have been better put.

Boring, it was not.

The clean sheet was Arsenal's sixth consecutive blanking out of their opponents in the competition, but that record looked a highly unlikely achievement for much of the game as both teams attacked with abandon.

Transfers

Arsenal open to Jesus summer sale to fund new striker bid - Paper Round

an hour ago

With Ronaldo starting alongside Raul and Henry and co. fresh from a 4-0 drubbing of Fulham at the weekend, goals looked a racing certainty.

But with Arsenal's youthful rearguard showing they are no respecters of reputation, Real's chances were kept to a minimum.

There was a glimmer of danger as Ronaldo sneaked in behind after just a quarter of an hour only for Gilberto Silva to time a challenge impeccably as his Brazil team-mate looked poised to fire his side in front.

But with makeshift left-back Matthieu Flamini keeping David Beckham on a tight leash on the right and Emmanuel Eboue limiting Roberto Carlos' piercing raids forward on the opposite flank, the service to the Spanish side's front two were limited.

SUPREMELY FOCUSSED

And when the back four failed Arsenal, Jens Lehmann was in equally obdurate form.

The German - so often ill at ease with everyone and everything - was supremely focussed, pulling off a world-class save on the hour to sap Real's morale.

Roberto Carlos' diagonal ball found Beckham leaping high to head down for Raul to smash a first-time shot off the inside of the post only for Lehmann to somehow recover his ground and paw away the Spain striker's follow-up when a goal looked the only possible outcome.

FOOTBALL 2005-2006 UEFA Champions League Arsenal Arsenal-Real Madrid Lehmann

Image credit: dpa

"That was a turning point," admitted Arsene Wenger. "It came at a time when we had dipped physically and a goal would have added a mental blow. But when you play Real Madrid, you know that your keeper is going to have to make at least one save."

UNSTOPPABLE

The same can be said when you come up against Arsenal.

With Henry virtually unstoppable and Jose Antonio Reyes, Aliaksandr Hleb and Freddie Ljungberg willing foils, Wenger's side consistently menaced a Real back four never renowned for their solidity.

Reyes hit the bar just before the half hour when he should have scored after neat build-up play from Hleb and Henry, while Real keeper Iker Casillas produced his own heroic feat in fingertipping a measured Henry effort round the post fifteen minutes from time.

FOOTBALL 2005-2006 UEFA Champions League Arsenal-Real Madrid Raúl Henry

Image credit: EFE

As Real threw on galactico after galactico, Arsenal threatened to crumble through the sheer weight of reputation bearing down on their goal.

But a miscued Philippe Senderos clearance - somehow looping over his own bar rather than racing past Lehmann - and another save from the German in injury time saw Arsenal through.

Man of the Match: Thierry Henry (Arsenal) - an inspiration

Turning point: Lehmann doing the impossible to keep Raul out

Talking point: No-one has been talking about Arsenal as potential winners - are they this season's Liverpool?

Champions League

'So avoidable' - Hargreaves says Bayern let down by errors from 'aggressive' Kim

Yesterday at 22:24

Champions League

McManaman: Bellingham's Real impact greater than Figo, Ronaldo, Zidane

Yesterday at 19:47

Champions League

Vinicius Jr. strikes twice as Bayern and Real end all square after thrilling first leg

Yesterday at 21:42