Lisbon, Portugal – Arsenal secured a valuable away victory against Sporting Lisbon, winning 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, played in Portugal.
The only goal of the match came in stoppage time, courtesy of Kai Havertz, giving his team an important advantage before the second leg.
The first half was characterized by extreme caution from both sides, with few genuine scoring opportunities. The most notable attempt came in the sixth minute when Maxi Araujo unleashed a powerful shot that struck the crossbar after a save by goalkeeper David Raya.
In the second half, Arsenal thought they had opened the scoring in the 63rd minute through Martin Zubimendi. However, the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.
Raya continued his brilliance, after he brilliantly saved a dangerous attempt by Luis Suarez in the 82nd minute, keeping his team’s hopes alive.
In the 91st minute, Havertz sealed the victory with a decisive goal, capitalizing on a perfectly weighted pass from Gabriel Martinelli. He found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper and calmly slotted the ball into the net.
⏱️⚽️ هدف قاتل يحسم المواجهة!
كاي هافيرتس يسجل هدف الفوز لآرسنال في اللحظات الأخيرة
آرسنال يخطو خطوة هامة نحو بلوغ نصف النهائي#دوري_أبطال_أوروبا#UCL pic.twitter.com/APpH7GpOiy
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) April 7, 2026Havertz has now scored 4 goals this season in all competitions, including 3 in the Champions League.
The second leg is scheduled to take place at the Emirates Stadium on April 15, to decide who will qualify for the semi-finals.
