📸 Raya saves Arsenal, Havertz destroys Sporting: 91st-minute winner 😱 | OneFootball

When everything seemed to be heading for a 0-0, the first leg between Sporting Lisbon and Arsenal was decided late on thanks to Gabriel Martinelli.

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It must be said that more was expected from this match: there were more dull moments than spectacle, and the fear of being exposed held the game back. On points, Arsenal would not have deserved the win: Sporting were more dangerous, and after hitting the woodwork twice in the first half, it was Raya who kept the Gunners afloat with 5 saves (all from inside the box).

In the end, though, the wild card arrived: Martinelli created it and picked out Havertz in the middle of the area, and with an elegant touch and a precise finish he delivered the decisive blow. Total ruthlessness from Arteta’s side, while Sporting go away full of regret. The return leg in London is on April 15.

⚽ Martinelli comes on and tears Lisbon apart: winning goal in the 91st minute!

90+ MINUTE - Just when everything seemed set to end goalless, the goal arrived that blew the game open and capped a “perfect” night for the Gunners.

A classic European performance: Raya decisive at one end, total ruthlessness at the other. Martinelli cuts inside from the left and delivers a perfect ball for Havertz in the middle of the area. Sublime control and a cool finish into the corner: Rui Silva beaten, with a few doubts over the position but the goal stands. A hugely important goal ahead of the return leg in 8 days at the Emirates.

📛 Zubimendi goal disallowed: Gyokeres offside

63RD MINUTE - Zubimendi unleashes a great strike from 20 metres and beats the goalkeeper, but the goal is ruled out. Gyokeres, who laid it off, was in an offside position when the pass was played. It remains 0-0.

🥶 HUGE scare for both sides: Araujo and Madueke hit the bar

6TH AND 15TH MINUTE- Sporting broke through with a perfect through ball from Diomande that caught White out: Araujo attacked the space and struck from 15 metres, only to find a crucial touch from Raya. The goalkeeper got just enough on it to push the ball onto the crossbar.

Nine minutes later, Madueke hit the bar directly from a corner: his inswinging left-footed effort crashed against the woodwork, denying the English playmaker the joy of an Olimpico.

😍 Magical choreography at the Alvalade

👏 Gyokeres applauded on his return to the pitch

The standout figure in this match is Viktor Gyokeres: the Arsenal striker and former Sporting player was applauded by the Alvalade crowd during the warm-up. He scored 97 goals in 102 matches for the green-and-whites. 

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✅ The OFFICIAL line-ups

SPORTING LISBON (4-2-3-1): Silva, Araujo, Inacio, Diomande, Fresneda, Morita, Simoes, Goncalves, Trincao, Catamo, Suarez

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Trossard, Madueke, Gyokeres.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

📸 PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA - AFP or licensors