14 Mar 2013

Arsenal knocked out of Champions League

7:10 pm on 14 March 2013

For the first time since 1996 no English football side will grace the quarter-finals of the elite European Champions League competititon.

Arsenal bowed out on Thursday morning, despite winning 2-0 at last year's beaten finalists Bayern Munich in the second leg of their two-legged Champions League tie.

It was a case of so close but not close enough for Arsenal, as the 3-3 aggregate scoreline wasn't enough for the Londoners to overturn their 3-1 deficit from the opening leg.

Bayern reach the last eight thanks to their three away goals in London.

Goals at either end of the game in Munich to Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny gave the Gunners the equal-highest winning score over the German giants at home in European competition, but it's little consolation to the club and their fans.

Elsewhere, Malaga's remarkable Champions League campaign continued when they beat Porto 2-0 to progress to the quarter-finals 2-1 on aggregate.

Trailing 1-0 after the first leg in Portugal, Malaga levelled the tie on aggregate when Isco scored with a stunning strike just before half-time, and substitute Roque Santa Cruz then scored the decisive goal 13 minutes from the end.