Eberechi Eze’s stunning strike helped Arsenal beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-0, sealing a 3-1 aggregate win and a Champions League quarter-final spot
ARSENAL cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals with a commanding 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates Stadium. The win sealed a 3-1 aggregate triumph for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Eberechi Eze broke the deadlock with a spectacular long-range strike late in the first half. Declan Rice added a composed second-half finish to kill off the German champions.
The Gunners were far more dominant than in the first leg’s 1-1 draw, reaching the last eight for a third successive season. They will now face Sporting Lisbon in the quarter-finals.
Sporting produced a remarkable comeback from a three-goal first-leg deficit to beat Bodo/Glimt 5-3 on aggregate. Arsenal crushed Sporting 5-1 in Lisbon during last season’s group stage.
This victory was ideal preparation for Sunday’s League Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley. Arsenal are chasing their first trophy in six years.
The quadruple-chasing Gunners also sit nine points clear at the top of the Premier League. They face second-tier Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals in April.
Arsenal started with relentless pressure, forcing Leverkusen keeper Janis Blaswich into several early saves. Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka were both denied by the inspired goalkeeper.
It took a moment of magic from Eze to finally beat Blaswich in the 36th minute. The midfielder swivelled on the edge of the area and unleashed a blistering strike into the top corner.
The goal marked Eze’s first in the Champions League and extended his recent revival. He joined Arsenal from Crystal Palace last summer.
Rice sealed the victory in the 63rd minute by stealing possession and finishing clinically. It was his first Champions League goal of the season.
Sixteen-year-old Max Dowman, the Premier League’s youngest ever goalscorer, was an unused substitute. Arsenal had no need for the teen sensation as they comfortably progressed.