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Porto-Arsenal: Galeno's jewel, the Guners shot blanks... the tops and the flops

2024-02-21T23:01:45.386Z

Highlights: Porto beat Arsenal 1-0 in the Champions League round of 16. Galeno scored the only goal of the match in added time. The Gunners failed to make a single shot on target in 90 minutes. Saka, Martinelli, Trossard, Havertz and Odegaard were out of fuel in the match. Click here to read the top and the flops from the match at the Estadio da Luz. The match report will be published on Monday, February 26.


Porto surprised Arsenal at the end of added time thanks to a sumptuous goal from Galeno (1-0). Find out what caught the editorial attention.


TOPS

To discover

  • Schedule and results Champions League

  • Champions League standings

Galeno turned on the light

Galeno was the only ray of sunshine during these long and painful 90 minutes.

However, he initially missed in the first half.

In two stages, he hit the post, then missed the target on the only very clear chance of the match, until the last minute... The Gunners block is unbalanced after Martinelli's loss of the ball, and Galeno in took the opportunity to advance alone in front of the surface, before curling a sumptuous strike into Raya's small net, brilliant.

It was a long wait, but this goal was worth it.

Pepe, (almost) 41 years old and all his teeth

Yes we are talking about Pepe, the one from Real Madrid who many think no longer plays football.

This evening again, and against a European leader in the round of 16 of the Champions League, the Portuguese delivered.

The Dragaos captain led his defense to a clean sheet, being almost flawless in the duels, and even in the restart.

On February 26, Pepe will celebrate his 41st birthday.

He has already given himself quite a gift, with a prestigious victory against Arsenal in the most beautiful of competitions.

FLOPS

Gunners lacking ammunition

Saka, Martinelli, Trossard, Havertz and Odegaard, these five made Arsenal happy in their last two victories 5 and 6-0 (against West Ham and Burnley).

But in Porto, the five Gunners were out of fuel facing the wall erected in front of Diogo Costa's cage.

Lacking inspiration, the wingers refused to play 1 against 1 in the opposing final third and lacked the madness to light the fuse of the cannon on the Arsenal coat of arms.

In 90 minutes, the London attackers did not target a single shot.

They could have played for a long time without finding the crack in a well-protected Portuguese fortress.

10 corners, 10 failures...

In a match where Arsenal failed to worry their opponent, it was only the set pieces that could have smiled on Arteta's men.

And that's good, since this season corners and free kicks are one of their great strengths.

But this European night was an exception.

10 times from corners, and a few others from free kicks, the combination remained the same, Saka, Odegaard and Rice insisted at length, in vain.

They constantly looked for the far post, and the heads of Saliba and Gabriel marked in the pants by Otavio and Pepe.

Diogo Costa remained vigilant, and only had to seize the opposing crosses by hand.

No questioning appeared, and the English persisted in trying this trick.

In vain.

Source: lefigaro

All sports articles on 2024-02-21

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