Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka was involved in a heated exchange with Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal during halftime of Wednesday night’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Saka, who is of Nigerian heritage, had earlier missed a penalty in the first half before making amends with a goal in the second.
His composed finish helped the Gunners secure a 2-1 victory on the night and a 5-1 aggregate triumph over the Spanish giants to reach the semifinals of the competition.
However, tensions flared as the players left the pitch at halftime.
As Saka made his way down the tunnel, he was approached by Carvajal, who raised a hand in his direction before the two exchanged angry words.
The confrontation quickly drew in players from both sides, with Carvajal – who has been recovering from a knee injury – eventually being pulled away by teammates.
Reports suggest that Carvajal may have been attempting to provoke the Arsenal winger following his 13th-minute penalty miss, a Panenka effort that was saved by Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Despite the incident, Saka maintained his composure and delivered a strong performance after the interval, scoring a crucial goal to restore Arsenal’s lead on the night.
His strike was later followed by Gabriel Martinelli’s goal in stoppage time to seal a famous victory in Madrid.
The win sees Arsenal progress to the last four of Europe’s premier competition, where they will face Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.
The altercation between Saka and Carvajal did not escalate further, and no disciplinary action is expected from UEFA at this stage.
Carvajal was fighting Saka last night pic.twitter.com/loerQYtztC
— #JoySports (@JoySportsGH) April 17, 2025
