Arsenal secured a 0-0 draw against Sporting CP at the Emirates to reach the Champions League semi-finals 1-0 on aggregate.
Arsenal booked their place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the second straight season after a tense 0-0 draw with Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium. The result saw the Gunners progress 1-0 on aggregate after last week’s narrow first-leg win.
Mikel Arteta’s side needed a response after three straight domestic defeats, with a crucial Premier League clash at Manchester City looming on Sunday.
Arsenal started brightly but struggled to maintain intensity as Sporting grew into the game.
The visitors carved out the better chances in the first half. Francisco Trincão fired wide from the edge of the box before Pedro Gonçalves blazed over from a tight angle. Geny Catamo then struck the outside of the post on the volley just before half-time.
Arsenal failed to register a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes. Eberechi Eze’s long-range effort over the bar was the closest they came, leaving the Emirates crowd anxious at the break.
Sporting, who have scored 14 of their 20 UCL goals this season after half-time, nearly struck early in the second period when Maximiliano Araújo’s shot flashed wide.
Arteta reacted by bringing on Kai Havertz for former Sporting striker Viktor Gyökeres.
Noni Madueke almost broke the deadlock moments later but could only find the side netting while off balance. Tensions rose as Arsenal searched for a tie-killing goal, with Arteta even booked for protesting a decision.
The Gunners finished stronger as Sporting faded late on. Leandro Trossard headed against the post from Max Dowman’s corner, but Arsenal’s UCL-high eighth clean sheet of the campaign saw them through.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINALISTS ✨ pic.twitter.com/4PGvD6x7jU
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 15, 2026
Arsenal now face Atlético Madrid in the semi-finals and have lost just one of their last 24 European games at the Emirates. Sporting’s wait for a first UCL semi-final goes on, extending their winless away run in England to 11 games.
