Champions League - Arsenal through on penalties

Eurosport - Thu, 12 Mar 10:11:00 2009

Arsenal beat Roma after a penalty shoot-out decided their Champions League las-16 tie which ended 1-1 on aggregate at Stadio Olimpico.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Champions League Roma-Arsenal - 0

The Italian side's one-goal deficit was eroded by Juan's ninth-minute header, before the game drifted to penalties, with the Gunners winning 7-6 - the highest-scoring shoot-out in Champions League history.

Arsene Wenger began with Eduardo confined to the bench, and Nicklas Bendtner leading the forward line along, but the visitors saw their 1-0 lead from the first leg at the Emirates wiped out startlingly early.

Roma defender Juan capitalised on some slack marking as both William Gallas and Kolo Toure allowed Francesco Totti's cross to escape them, before the lanky defender slotted past Manuel Almunia from close range.

Rodrigo Taddei was feted by his team-mates in the celebrations for a deft dummy in the lead up to the goal which enabled Juan to find space beyond the diving Gael Clichy.

Gallas had a chance to atone for his error with a free header from close range 10 minutes later, but the angle was tight as the defender stole in at the back post, and Doni gathered relatively comfortably.

Taddei, who was a constant threat, then had two rasping efforts saved by Almunia after cutting in from the right wing, before a third shot was fired in by Mirko Vucinic as the Spanish keeper was kept occupied.

Samir Nasri, who had fleeting moments of inspiration on either wing, picked out Robin van Persie from out on the right, just before half-time, but the Dutchman's header sailed innocuously over the bar after he was left unmarked in the penalty area.

On the stroke of the break, Roma had their clamorous appeals for a penalty rejected by referee Mejuto Gonzalez, as Marco Motta appeared to be clipped by Clichy inside the box: replays suggest that Arsenal could count themselves lucky.

Former Arsenal forward Julio Baptista was introduced in place of Juan, who sustained an injury, and the Brazilian almost doubled Roma's lead on the night in the 81st minute when he slid to meet Motta's cross, but failed to connect cleanly.

Bacary Sagna has a free header inside the box saved by Doni - another good chance for Arsenal which they should have converted.

Theo Walcott was introduced midway through the second half, and the pacey winger immediately proved a nuisance for John Arne Riise - who was already cursing the pace of Sagna down that flank - twisting the Norwegian inside out.

Then on the stroke of full-time, Toure had a point-blank chance to win the tie for Arsenal with a header from close range which drifted agonisingly wide of Doni's near post after Van Persie had flicked the ball on from Nasri's cross.

A superb one-two between Van Persie and Walcott in extra-time almost saw the Englishman get in behind the retreating Max Tonetto, but the Italian muscled him off the ball impressively.

With penalties looming, Arsenal squandered numerous promising positions, as their hosts dropped deeper and deeper into their own half, seemingly content to wait for the impending shoot-out, with Vincenzo Montella brought on for the occasion.

Eduardo was the first man to step up, but his tame effort was comfortably saved by Doni, but the Brazilian was reprieved by Vucinic's miss, before Van Persie, Walcott, Nasri, Denilson, Toure, Sagna and Abou Diaby all then scored for the Gunners, leaving Tonetto to hand them victory.

Dan Quarrell / Eurosport

Comment 70 - 89 of 129

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  1. english premeir league all the way english teams­ dominate europe (though money is a decisive factor in­ their success yet who cares!!!!!)

    From chicken salad, on Thu 12 Mar 7:43AM

  2. welldone gunners i believe u are going to get­ there.Just keep up the mind game and u will get­ there!Cheers.

    From lasolat, on Thu 12 Mar 7:35AM

  3. well done arsenal you showed roma what you can do

    From Richard, on Thu 12 Mar 7:34AM

  4. Congratulations to Arsenal from a Liverpool Fan.

    From jhr881, on Thu 12 Mar 7:21AM

  5. We’ll go to Olimpico again this May, with Cesc of­ course!

    From Emirates, on Thu 12 Mar 5:52AM

  6. Am a chelsea spporter and i am glad that the english­ team see off all the italian team, celebrate all

    From Chiedozie, on Thu 12 Mar 5:51AM

  7. This was obvious watchout for the Gunners

    From Gerald, on Thu 12 Mar 5:43AM

  8. very good result,but on the two performances can you­ really see us going any further?
    we need to finish­ games at home instead of the nail biting

    From john, on Thu 12 Mar 5:07AM

  9. good job done, gunner for life let the jealousy ones­ decieve themselves only God knows arsenal's­ destiny.

    From magezib, on Thu 12 Mar 4:01AM

  10. After a few years of playing well & winning nothing­ I am happy to see us have a poor game & still come­ through. Liverpool did it several times (with the­ obvious exception of the last 45 mins of the final) the­ last time they lifted the trophy... Sometimes you need­ that luck, are you Italians trying to tell us you­ didn't have any luck in the world cup?? 4­ Premiership teams in the last 8, 2 years on the bounce­ tells the whole story - forget what nationality the­ players are.
    We have to come a long way if we are to­ compete with ManU, Bayern & Barcelona but anything­ can happen in cup football - In Arsene we trust!

    From muchas_playas, on Thu 12 Mar 3:45AM

  11. Well done to all the English teams, but keep an eye on­ Barcelona they look very good.

    From pat., on Thu 12 Mar 3:02AM

  12. AM JUST SO HAPPY THAT WE GUNNARZ MAKE IT AGAIN IN ITALY­ AND AM SURE THE TRADITION REMAINS 4EVA AND LETS­ EVERYONE KNOWS THAT MY BOYZ ARE MORE STRONGER THAN THE­ USELESS MAN.DAMOCHEY SAYS GUNNERS TILL I GET TO­ HEAVEN...........I APPRICIATE YOU WENGER......

    From randy_jones1987, on Thu 12 Mar 2:34AM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    loser is always a loser..

    From andrei hanafi?, on Thu 12 Mar 2:34AM

  14. Darkshine, what screen were you watching? Roma deserved­ a penalty during the game, then why don't you­ mention the two hand ball appeals Arsenal had turned­ down and one was so blatent that even the Roma coach­ said his team were lucky not to conceed a penalty from­ it! I think you need to take your provocative rubbish­ some place else. Get behind the British teams...So, to­ say, their penalties were better taken? How does that­ fugure? THEY LOST AT IT!!!! JEEEEES

    From EGK, on Thu 12 Mar 2:02AM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    im extremly dissapointed with the referee in this­ match. and the one in the first leg of the inter match­ at the san siro. roma should have had a penalty simple­ as.. .and they wudda won and gone threw... its time to­ birng in video evidencing to cut out all of these­ terrible decisions. and its hardly a triupmh for­ "english football" none of the players save­ walcott are english. wwhere as roma are a majority­ itallian side.. and scored the better penalties no­ doubt.....

    From darkshine622, on Thu 12 Mar 1:31AM

  16. well done i smell, a cup

    From thespecialerone, on Thu 12 Mar 1:17AM

  17. well done Gunners you made us proud n I am proud to be­ a gunner 4life

    From Paulo, on Thu 12 Mar 1:12AM

  18. it amazes me to this day, that whenever Man U or­ Chelsea don't play particularly well but still get­ the result, all the pundits and commentators say­ "well sometimes you don't have to play well,­ but it shows that you are a good side if you get the­ result anyway?"Well that sums up the result­ tonight for Arsenal. Yes, they could have played a lot­ better, but they have played well in games and got­ nothing from them so, bottom line, who cares how they­ got to the next round....as for the sour comments from­ the spuds on this site, well, thats always to be­ expected isn't it...since Arsenal moved to north­ London, the Spuds have not really had too much to shout­ about have they, must be all those seasons of­ swallowing sour grapes...cos they always got an opinion­ on Arsenal, just sums them up really, sad­ wannabes...End of....

    From kpb, on Thu 12 Mar 12:51AM

  19. Why gallas was sulking before the PKs?
    As a barcelona­ fan, I want Arsenal in the 1/4 finals. Gallas as a­ captain would be the icing on the cake.

    From Moussa, on Thu 12 Mar 12:50AM

  20. i suppose Roma were lucky enough to leave emirates­ 1-0,it could have been worse ,gunner 4 life,in wenger­ we trust,we didnt play good but we are through­ that's all what it matters

    From sabas, on Thu 12 Mar 12:49AM
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