March 13 – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says “it was a magic night” for his side as they reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2010 by beating Porto in a penalty shootout at Emirates Stadium.
“[The atmosphere] was amazing. A huge thank you to the fans. With them, we are much better and today they impacted the game in a really strong way,” said Arteta.
Summer signing David Raya played a crucial role in his side’s late victory with two penalty shootout saves.
The win didn’t come without controversy though with Porto boss Sergio Conceicao accusing the Arsenal manager of insulting his family.
Frustrations were clearly brewing after the final whistle as the two managers appeared to have an intense discussion on the pitch before being separated.
“What Arteta said, towards the bench in Spanish, he insulted my family,” Conceicao said in the news conference.
Arsenal club sources have said that Arteta denies the accusations.
“He should focus on training his team,” said Conceicao. “The result was unjust. The team (Porto) deserved to go through.”
Elsewhere in the Champions League, FC Barcelona put three goals past Napoli to secure a place in the quarter finals, winning 4-2 on aggregate.
Despite the fine form of their forwards, it was 17-year-old defender Pau Cubarsi that picked up the man of the match award in yet another a standout display by the young star.
The loss puts a nail in the coffin of a campaign to forget for Napoli, who look a far cry from the team that waltzed to the scudetto last term. As things stand, the 2023 Serie A winners are seventh in the league, out of Europe and without a tangible shout of silverware. With superstar duo Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia linked with moves away, the club looks set for renewed challenges ahead.
The final round of 16 fixtures takes place tonight night. Borussia Dortmund will host PSV after there was nothing to separate the two sides when they met in Eindhoven back in February. Serie A leaders Inter Milan travel to Madrid with a slender 1-0 lead over Atletico in a tie that could go either way.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1735092906labto1735092906ofdlr1735092906owedi1735092906sni@g1735092906niwe.1735092906yrrah1735092906