On March 16, one of the matches of the Europa League was held. They met Arsenal (London) and Sporting (Lisbon).
Europa League
Arsenal (London) - Sporting (Lisbon) - 1:1 (1:0)
Goals: Jaka (19) - Pedro Gonçalves (62)
Warnings: Vieira (24), Jaka (45+2), Manuel Ugarte (53), R. Holding (71), Manuel Ugarte (118), O. Diomande (118)
Soccer fans were in for an exciting match at the Emirates Stadium between Arsenal and Sporting in the UEFA Europa League. With both teams needing a win to advance to the next round, everything was going to be an exciting match. The match began with Arsenal making an early substitution: in the 9th minute, T. Tomiyasu came on instead of B. White. However, on 19 minutes, the first goal of the match. G. Haka found the ball in the net to put Arsenal ahead. Arsenal continued to pile on the pressure and made their second substitution: U. Saliba replaced R. Holding on 21 minutes. However, on 24 minutes, F. Vieira was given a yellow card, and on 45 minutes, his example was followed by G. Xhaka. At halftime, the score was 1-0 in favor of Arsenal. The second half began with the third substitution in the "Arsenal": G. Jesus came on instead of L. Trossard. 53 minutes into the match Sporting player M. Ugarte got a yellow card, but it didn`t stop them: 62 minutes into the match P. Goncalves scored for Sporting, equalizing the score 1:1. Then Arsenal made two more substitutions: Jorginho and R. Nelson were replaced by T. Partey and B. Saka on 65 and 66 minutes respectively. However, on 71 minutes R. Holding was given a yellow card and the game became a stalemate.
Sporting KP then made two substitutions: Paulinho and P. Goncalves replaced Y. Cermiti and D. Essugo on 89th and 93rd minutes, respectively. Matheus Reis also came on instead of N. Santos in the 93rd minute. The game went into extra time with both teams desperate for a win. Arsenal made their sixth and final substitution: F. Vieira was replaced by M. Odegaard in the 100th minute. Sporting CP also made the last substitution: Trinchao replaced Artur Gomes on 105 minutes. However, the drama was not over yet, as M. Ugarte received his second yellow and red cards, leaving Sporting CP with ten men. With the score tied at 1-1, the game went into a dramatic penalty shootout. J. St. Juste scored for Sporting KP and then M. Odegaard scored for Arsenal. R. Esgaio then scored for Sporting KP and B. Saka scored for Arsenal. G. Inacio scored for Sporting KP and L. Trossard scored for Arsenal. Arthur Gomes scored for Sporting KP and G. Martinelli missed a penalty for Arsenal. N. Santos then scored the winning penalty for Sporting KP, giving them a hard-fought victory over Arsenal. In the end, it was a thrilling match that went all the way to the end. Sporting's determination paid off in the penalty shootout, allowing them to advance to the next round of the UEFA Europa League. On the other hand, Arsenal will have to regroup and try to repeat their success in the upcoming matches.
| Arsenal | Sporting | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Goals on goal | 2 |
| 13 | Kicks | 15 |
| 0 | Blocked punches | 7 |
| 11 | Kicks from the penalty area | 6 |
| 2 | Kicks from behind the penalty box | 9 |
| 10 | Violations | 13 |
| 5 | Corner | 7 |
| 5 | Offsides | 0 |
| 53% | Ball possession | 47% |
| 3 | Yellow cards | 3 |
| 0 | Red cards | 1 |
| 1 | Saves by goalkeeper | 7 |
| 644 | Total assists | 576 |
| 538 | Accurate passes | 469 |
| 84% | Accuracy of transmissions | 81% |