Arsenal scrape past Sporting to reach Champions League semi-finals

The Gunners hold on to their lead from Lisbon

Arsenal edged past Sporting to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the second successive season with a 0-0 home draw earning them a 1-0 aggregate victory on Wednesday.

It was far from convincing though for Mikel Arteta's side as they held on to the lead given to them by Kai Havertz's stoppage-time goal in Lisbon last week.

The well-organised visitors posed a threat at times and almost went ahead on the night shortly before halftime when Geny Catamo's volley clipped the outside of the post.

Arsenal substitute Leandro Trossard also struck the woodwork in the tense latter stages of a dour game in which Sporting ran out of ideas and could not prevent the hosts keeping an eighth clean sheet in 12 Champions League games this season to set up a semi-final clash with Atletico Madrid.

While the result was ultimately all that mattered, Arsenal again lacked spark and suffered an injury scare ahead of Sunday's colossal Premier League clash at Manchester City when Noni Madueke was forced off after a bang to the knee.

"We are delighted, it was a really tough test over two games," Arsenal captain Declan Rice said. "To get to back-to-back semi-finals is an amazing achievement and now we want to go one step further."

Arsenal bowed out in the semi-finals last season to eventual winners Paris St Germain and they will have to improve against a dangerous Atletico side if they are to reach the final for only the second time, having lost to Barcelona in 2006.

As huge as Wednesday's match was, the looming clash with Manchester City which could make or break Arsenal's Premier League title quest was impossible to ignore.

Arsenal appeared to play with the handbrake on, managing only one effort on target, and they could have paid the price with Sporting's Joao Simoes going agonisingly close with a shot with the last kick of the game.