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King Venomation - X
03-09-2006, 01:03 AM
A determined Arsenal performance saw The Gunners reach the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League thanks to a suspenseful and dramatic 0-0 draw with Real Madrid.

Starting with a 1-0 advantage after a scintillating performance in the Bernabeu, Arsene Wenger's men kept the British flag flying as they repelled sustained pressure in the second half to conquer the nine-time European Champions.

An exciting encounter saw Jose Antonio Reyes hit the crossbar and Raul thunder a shot against the post, but it was the London side who ensured their continuation after a nervy climax.

The Spanish visitors could have wiped out Arsenal's advantage after just three minutes but Ronaldo, recalled to the starting line-up despite his recent spat with the Real fans, saw his downwards header turned wide by Jens Lehmann after he peeled away to meet Thomas Gravesen's cross.

From the resulting corner Roberto Carlos looked to have teed himself up for a trademark effort but his drive flew wide, and captain Raul, making his first start since recovering from a knee injury, was unable to turn another speculative effort from Gravesen past Lehmann.

Arsenal were not being afforded the time and space they exploited so effectively at the Bernabeu, but had a fantastic chance after just five minutes when Reyes sent his shot wide after collecting a loose ball in the Real box.

Philippe Senderos also wasted a glorious opening when, unmarked, he misjudged his header from Thierry Henry's set-piece, but Los Merengues were appealing for a penalty seconds before when Gilberto just managed to get a toe to the ball with Ronaldo bearing down on goal.

The Arsenal man did just enough to avert the danger and The Gunners were causing problems at the other end when Alexander Hleb and Freddie Ljungberg teed up Francesc Fabregas - although the midfielder was denied the chance to score against his Spanish compatriots by a timely deflection from Roberto Carlos.

International team-mate Reyes was similarly frustrated by another full-back in Michel Salgado, and the right sided star's block owed more to judgement than luck as he threw himself full-stretch to deny the former Sevilla man.

Florentino Perez's recent departure as Real president may have ended the era of the much-hyped Galacticos, but the Madrid line-up was still oozing experience and quality and they threatened from set-pieces with David Beckham looking to mark his club return to English shores with a goal as Lehmann scrambled to gather his curling effort.

However the nine-time champions continued to represent a subdued threat as they had at home, with Zinedine Zidane cursing a heavy first touch as he was denied by a superb tackle from Kolo Toure, and with two minutes to go before the break Sergio Ramos presented Arsenal with the opening they needed as he made a mess of a defensive header to allow Henry to charge down on Iker Casillas's goal.

The magical Frenchman looked to have left it too late to square to Reyes but he found his fellow forward eventually and the Spaniard took a touch before lifting his shot over Casillas and agonisingly onto the crossbar.

Reyes would have been disappointed with his failure to score but from Arsenal's point of view it was job done as they closed out the half without conceding against a Real side lacking inspiration.

However the cultured Spanish side emerged from the break a more determined team as they looked for their all-important leveller, and nearly achieved it when a Beckham free-kick had Lehmann scrambling as the ball landed on the roof of the net.

Hleb played in Henry who had a shot from a tight angle blocked by Raul Bravo, but the men from Madrid began to hit their stride and a quick break saw Zidane exercise sumptuous control and vision to pick out Beckham - although the England skipper could not test Lehmann as he tried to hook a leg at the ball on the six-yard line.

Wenger's side had looked in control in the first 45 minutes, but the visitors began to surge forward and seemed destined to take the lead when Beckham headed down smartly to Raul who hit a scorching half-volley on the hour mark.

However the Real captain looked on as his effort rebounded off the post and his follow-up attempt was also palmed wide by Lehmann as he incredibly failed to draw his side level on aggregate.

Gravesen had time to send a drive high and wide before he was replaced by Brazilian forward Julio Baptista, and the quiet Ronaldo also misjudged a header with Ramos better placed to score as Arsenal tried to weather the white storm.

The Gunners introduced the experienced Robert Pires as they tried to turn the tide, but found a somewhat unlikely outlet in full-back Emmanuel Eboue as the Ivorian's probing runs allowed both himself and Hleb to fire wide.

The more tried and tested threat of Henry then came into play as the French striker twice came within inches of putting the tie beyond Real - his first effort being tipped round the post superbly by Casillas before a jinking run produced a spontaneous shot that whistled just wide.

As the minutes ticked by Real threw on the burgeoning attacking talents of Robinho and Antonio Cassano, but Arsenal were determined to keep them at bay and Ljungberg epitomised the effort of the home side as he bravely blocked a thunderous free-kick from Carlos.

Senderos nearly compromised his side's efforts when he skewed a Beckham cross just over his own bar, and Real signalled their desperation when they sent Casillas up for a late corner.

Incredibly Pires picked the ball up in the box from the set piece and charged upfield with Casillas hot on his heels, and his long-range effort lacked the requisite pace as Carlos raced back to stop the ball on the line.

It was a typically suspenseful moment in what was a nervy and action-packed encounter, and until the dying seconds Real represented a threat as substitute Robinho saw his low effort beat a group of players but not Lehmann.

However Arsenal consolidated their tremendous away performance and kept Wenger's hunt for his holy grail alive as they conquered the visiting European royalty from Madrid.


Arsenal Team Statistics Real Madrid
0 Goals 0
0 1st Half Goals 0
1 Shots on Target 4
6 Shots off Target 6
7 Blocked Shots 5
5 Corners 4
22 Fouls 18
2 Offsides 1
1 Yellow Cards 4
0 Red Cards 0
78.4 Passing Success 77
27 Tackles 37
77.8 Tackles Success 70.3
44.5 Possession 55.5
56.6 Territorial Advantage 43.4

Credit: SkySports.Com

queen
03-11-2006, 07:18 PM
they played really well, especially lehmann of all pple

Dark Drakan
03-11-2006, 07:25 PM
Lehmann saved Arsenal in that one (makes a change) i dont know about Arsenal beating Juventus though.