London [UK], April 16 : Arsenal booked their place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for a second straight season, but not without a few anxious moments, as they played out a nervy 0-0 draw against Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium in London to progress 1-0 on aggregate.
Coming into the second leg under pressure after a dip in domestic form, Arsenal began brightly but struggled to sustain their early tempo. Sporting gradually grew into the contest and looked the more composed side for long spells of the first half.
Francisco Trincao had the first real opening, dragging his effort wide, before Pedro Goncalves also failed to hit the target from a tight angle.
The visitors came closest before the break when Geny Catamo struck the outside of the post with a sharp volley, while Arsenal's attacking output remained blunt, failing to seriously test goalkeeper Rui Silva before half-time.
Sporting carried their threat into the second half, with Maximiliano Araujo firing narrowly wide soon after the restart. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reacted by introducing Kai Havertz, and the change almost paid off instantly when Noni Madueke broke into the box, only to hit the side netting under pressure.
With tension building around the Emirates, Arsenal struggled to find the decisive goal to put the tie beyond doubt. Arteta's frustration even spilled over into a booking on the touchline as Sporting continued to threaten.
However, the Gunners finished the stronger side as the Portuguese outfit began to tire. Leandro Trossard came closest to breaking the deadlock late on, heading against the post from a corner, but Arsenal ultimately had to settle for a goalless draw.
The result was enough to see them through, thanks to their first-leg advantage, and they will now face Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals.
It was also another defensively solid European outing for Arsenal, as they recorded their eighth clean sheet of the campaign.
For Sporting, it was a case of what might have been. Despite a disciplined and confident performance, they fell short of reaching their first Champions League semi-final, extending a frustrating run of away results against English opposition.
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