Raya 'lucky' to be playing for Arsenal after penalties heroics

The teams were locked at 1-1 on aggregate after an absorbing second leg at the Emirates but Raya saved twice in the shootout to break the hearts of the two-time champions. The goalkeeper dived full stretch to deny Wendell and repeated the feat against Galeno, while the home side converted all four of their penalties as the decibel count soared.

It is the first time a Champions League match has been decided by penalties since the 2016 final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. "You are very nervous, you are hoping for the best but you know that it (the shootout) is a bit of a lottery," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports.

"So happy. It has been 14 years (without reaching quarter-finals), which is a long time for a club like Arsenal and it shows how difficult it was. We really had to dig in to find the magic moment at the end."

"We've been patient, worked so hard and a lot of people have made good decisions and showed courage in difficult moments and this is where you want to be," he added. Raya, on loan from Brentford, said it was a "great moment personally and collectively".

"This means everything. You play football for these kind of things and I'm lucky to be playing for Arsenal, to be in the Champions League and to get through to the quarter-finals."

 

March 13, 2024