Havertz Strikes in Stoppage Time as Arsenal Edge Sporting in Lisbon
Arsenal FC took a significant step towards the UEFA Champions League semi-finals with a late 1–0 victory over Sporting Clube de Portugal on 7 April 2026, decided by a stoppage-time goal from substitute Kai Havertz.
The quarter-final first leg in Lisbon remained goalless until the 90th minute plus one, when Havertz struck for the visitors. The German forward, introduced in the 70th minute in place of Martin Ødegaard, finished off a move created by fellow substitute Martinelli, whose assist unlocked the Sporting defence at the death. The goal gave Arsenal a slender but valuable lead to carry into the return leg.
Sporting had battled to keep the tie level, with their only booking of the night going to Hidemasa Morita in the 31st minute. The hosts also attempted to refresh their midfield and attack in the second half, bringing on Daniel Bragança for João Simões in the 62nd minute and later introducing Rafael Nel for Pedro Gonçalves in the 79th minute.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta turned to his bench as the game wore on, making a triple impact through changes in the final 20 minutes. Leandro Trossard made way for Martinelli in the 76th minute, while Noni Madueke was replaced by Max Dowman at the same time, setting the stage for the substitutes to influence the closing stages. It was ultimately the combination of Martinelli and Havertz that broke Sporting’s resistance.
This result leaves Arsenal in control of the tie ahead of the second leg in London, while Sporting must now find a way to overturn the deficit away from home. Detailed match statistics, full lineups and further events beyond the recorded goal, bookings and substitutions were not available at the time of writing.
For more on the UEFA Champions League, visit Ballaxy’s competition hub, and see the full match page at this link.
UEFA Champions League Standings
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Arsenal FC
|
8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 4 | 19 | 24 | W D D W L |
| 2 |
FC Bayern München
|
8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 8 | 14 | 21 | L W W D L |
| 3 |
Liverpool FC
|
8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 8 | 12 | 18 | L L L W L |
| 4 |
Tottenham Hotspur FC
|
8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 17 | |
| 5 |
FC Barcelona
|
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 14 | 8 | 16 | W L L D L |
| 6 |
Chelsea FC
|
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 16 | |
| 7 |
Sporting Clube de Portugal
|
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 16 | D L D L D |
| 8 |
Manchester City FC
|
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 16 | L L W L L |
| 9 |
Real Madrid CF
|
8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 15 | L L L L W |
| 10 |
FC Internazionale Milano
|
8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 15 | L W D D W |
| 11 |
Paris Saint-Germain FC
|
8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 14 | W W W W W |
| 12 |
Newcastle United FC
|
8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 14 | |
| 13 |
Juventus FC
|
8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 13 | L W L D W |
| 14 |
Club Atlético de Madrid
|
8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 13 | L D L W L |
| 15 |
Atalanta BC
|
8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 13 | L L D W L |
| 16 |
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
|
8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 14 | -1 | 12 | L L W L W |
| 17 |
Borussia Dortmund
|
8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 17 | 2 | 11 | W L W D D |
| 18 |
PAE Olympiakos SFP
|
8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 14 | -4 | 11 | |
| 19 |
Club Brugge KV
|
8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 17 | -2 | 10 | L L W W L |
| 20 |
Galatasaray SK
|
8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 10 | |
| 21 |
AS Monaco FC
|
8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 14 | -6 | 10 | D L L W L |
| 22 |
Qarabağ Ağdam FK
|
8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 21 | -8 | 10 | |
| 23 |
FK Bodø/Glimt
|
8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 15 | -1 | 9 | |
| 24 |
Sport Lisboa e Benfica
|
8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 9 | L L D W W |
| 25 |
Olympique de Marseille
|
8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 14 | -3 | 9 | |
| 26 |
Paphos FC
|
8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 9 | |
| 27 |
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
|
8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 17 | -9 | 9 | |
| 28 |
PSV
|
8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 8 | D L W L W |
| 29 |
Athletic Club
|
8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 14 | -5 | 8 | |
| 30 |
SSC Napoli
|
8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 15 | -6 | 8 | |
| 31 |
FC København
|
8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 21 | -9 | 8 | |
| 32 |
AFC Ajax
|
8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 21 | -13 | 6 | |
| 33 |
Eintracht Frankfurt
|
8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 21 | -11 | 4 | |
| 34 |
SK Slavia Praha
|
8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 19 | -14 | 3 | |
| 35 |
Villarreal CF
|
8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 18 | -13 | 1 | |
| 36 |
FK Kairat
|
8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 22 | -15 | 1 |
