Posted in Sporting Lisbon, Arsenal, europa league, UEFA Europa League

Sporting Lisbon surprises Arsenal by expelling them from the Europa League

 March 16, 2023

Goals: Arsenal – Sporting CP – Played on 03/16/ 2023

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Sporting Lisbon achieved a surprise, knocking out its host Arsenal from the European League, after defeating it today, Thursday, by penalties (5-3), after the end of the original and extra time with a draw (1-1), in the second leg of the final price.

Granit Xhaka scored Arsenal’s lead in the 19th minute, while the equalizer for the guests came through Poti (62).

In the penalty shootout, Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli missed a kick for Arsenal, which was saved by the match’s champion, Spanish goalkeeper Antonio Adan, while Sporting scored all five of his kicks.

The first leg match in the Portuguese capital ended in a 2-2 draw, leaving the Gunners in the quarter-finals.

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Tomiasso, the Arsenal player, sprained his leg, left the field injured and replaced Ben White in the eighth minute.

Trincao broke through from the right wing, before firing a shot with his left foot, but the ball passed by the post in the thirteenth minute.

Arsenal had its first dangerous opportunity in the 17th minute when Nelson sent a cross, which Jesus followed before goalkeeper Adan sent it away.

Arsenal opened the scoring in the 19th minute when the Spanish condemned Martinelli’s attempt, but the ball rebounded to midfielder Xhaka, who deposited it in the net.

Arsenal’s problems with injuries increased after the goal, as Saliba was forced to leave the field, to be replaced by Englishman Rob Holding.

Arsenal continued its pressure, and Adan consisted in tackling a new scoring attempt from Martinelli, who received the ball from a corner kick in the 28th minute.

Jesus stormed the Portuguese team’s penalty area after a beautiful dribbling break, before directing a shot, but Adan was on the lookout for it in the 30th minute.

And the game tended to calm down in the last quarter of the hour of the first half, and Saint Justi tried his luck with a long-range shot over Arsenal in the 41st minute.

Sporting came close to tying the score in stoppage time from the first half, but Ugarte’s close shot bounced off a defender before passing by the post.

Between halftime, Arteta replaced Jesus with Belgian striker Leandro Trossard, and Botti fired a long-range shot, which did not pose a threat to Arsenal’s goal in the 49th minute.

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The guest team explored the equalization of the score in an amazing way in the 62nd minute, when Botti spotted goalkeeper Ramsdale ahead of his goal, so he sent a long falling ball from almost the middle of the field, which passed over the goalkeeper and settled into the net.

And Arsenal wanted to regain its lead, so he involved Thomas Partey and Bucayo Saka instead of Jorginho and Nelson, and Ramsdale saved his goal from a goal in the 73rd minute, when he confronted Edwards’ attempt after a pass from Paulinia.

Adan returned to his series of saves in the 79th minute, when he ably removed a shot from Vieira from a free kick, and Xhaka’s header passed far from Sporting’s goal in the 82nd minute.

The two teams resorted to two additional halves, and Arsenal was about to score the decisive goal in the 98th minute when Trossard was alone in the goal after a wrong pass from Sporting’s defense, hit the ball and bounce from Adan’s hand before hitting the goalkeeper.

Saka executed a corner kick in stoppage time in the first extra period, followed by Holding’s header over the goal.

Substitute Martin Odegaard played a role in Arsenal’s control in the second extra half, and his header passed away from Sporting’s goal in the 108th minute.

Adan’s heroics continued in the 117th minute when the Spanish goalkeeper brilliantly blocked Magalhaes’ header before Ugarte got the second yellow card and was sent off in the 118th minute.

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