Champions League chaos

Bayern Munich and Arsenal are through to the Champions League semifinals after two very different second legs on Wednesday, April 15. Bayern’s tie with Real Madrid finished 4-3 on the night; Arsenal’s with Sporting ended 0-0. (uefa.com) Bayern completed a 6-4 aggregate win after taking the first leg 2-1 in Madrid on April 7, then winning again at Allianz Arena. Arsenal advanced 1-0 on aggregate after Kai Havertz scored the only goal of their tie in Lisbon a week earlier. (uefa.com 1) (uefa.com 2) The Bayern match turned into a seven-goal shootout. ESPN’s match report listed Bayern scorers Aleksandar Pavlovic, Harry Kane, Luis Díaz and Michael Olise, while Arda Güler scored twice for Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappé added another. (espn.com) The decisive swing came late. Bundesliga.com’s live ticker said Bayern were still level in the closing stages before Díaz scored in the 89th minute and Olise added another in stoppage time to avoid extra time. (bundesliga.com) Real Madrid finished with 10 men after Eduardo Camavinga was sent off in the 86th minute for a second yellow card, according to Reuters’ report carried by U.S. News. The same report said Madrid’s players were angry with referee Slavko Vinčić after the decision. (usnews.com) Arsenal’s route was the opposite: protect the lead, limit chances, get out. ESPN said the 0-0 draw at Emirates Stadium sent Mikel Arteta’s side into a semifinal against Atlético Madrid. (espn.com) Arsenal’s own match report described the game as one of the lowest-chance matches in this season’s competition. The club said the combined expected-goals figure was 0.93, with Arsenal at 0.64 and Sporting at 0.29. (arsenal.com) The bracket is now set on one side. UEFA’s fixtures page shows Bayern will meet Paris Saint-Germain in one semifinal, while Arsenal will face Atlético Madrid, with first legs scheduled for April 27 or 29 and second legs for May 4 or 6. (uefa.com) The contrast between the two nights is part of the story. UEFA’s front page pushed highlights from both matches within hours, and broadcasters and social platforms circulated reels built around Bayern’s late goals and Arsenal’s narrow escape. (uefa.com) (youtube.com) What Wednesday settled, more than anything, was the shape of the final four. Bayern got there by outrunning Real Madrid in the last minutes; Arsenal got there by making one first-leg goal stand up for 180 tense minutes. (bundesliga.com) (espn.com)