- Saka missed a first-half penalty in Arsenal’s Champions League win over Madrid
- Forward may have been put off his attempt by his England colleague Bellingham
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Jude Bellingham may bear some responsibility for Bukayo Saka‘s penalty miss in Arsenal‘s Champions League win over Real Madrid, unaired footage has revealed.
The Los Blancos star was seen whispering into the ear of his England teammate shortly before he stepped up to take a spot kick in the first half of their quarter-final second leg at the Bernabeu.
Madrid came into the tie needing to overturn a three-goal deficit and their task appeared near insurmountable when the Gunners wfere awarded a penalty for a foul by Raul Asencio on Mikel Merino in the 10th minute.
The decision was greeted by jeers from the crowd and stunned expressions among the Madrid players. Bellingham, chief among them, opted for more nefarious tactics to wrestle back control and had words for Saka before his attempt.
Moments later, the Gunners star – normally flawless from 12 yards – was denied by Thibaut Courtois after attempting an elaborate chip.
It’s not the first time Bellingham has been caught trying to affect the psyche of one of his Three Lions colleagues. Last season, during a semi-final clash against Bayern Munich, Bellingham approached Harry Kane as he waited to take a penalty.
Jude Bellingham was seen whispering something into the ear of Bukayo Saka before his penalty on Wednesday night
The Gunners star than fluffed his lines from the spot, opting to try a chip over Thibaut Courtois
Kane blocked out the 21-year-old to score in a first leg that would end in a 2-2 stalemate.
According to Spanish journalist Guillem Balague, the Real Madrid superstar had said to Kane: ‘You’re going to kick it left’.
Recalling the flashpoint with Bellingham, Kane said: ‘I don’t know what he was saying. I saw him there mumbling something.
‘I’d have to ask him what he actually said. Because once I’m in that moment I’m just in the zone and am trying to block everything out. I’m sure he was saying something to try and put me off but thankfully it was ok for me.’
On Wednesday night, Courtois’ save proved to be a rare bright spark on an otherwise humbling night for the LaLiga champions who entered the contest full of confidence of overturning their mammoth deficit.
Saka and his Arsenal teammates would ultimately have the last laugh and not just preserve their lead but secure a famous 2-1 win on the night.
The forward, whose recent return from a four-month absence from a hamstring injury has breathed new life into a faltering season, ironically broke the deadlock with a delightful chip over Courtois in the 65th minute.
Madrid levelled things up through Vinicius Jr two minutes but even at that stage the strike felt academic.
Last season, Bellingham had a word with Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane before a crucial penalty kick
Saka and his Arsenal teammates would ultimately have the last laugh and claim a famous 2-1 win at the Bernabeu
Real Madrid’s defence of the European Cup ends at the quarter-final stage as they fail to reach the last four for the first time in five years
The rubber stamp on a glorious European night came when Gabriel Martinelli raised through and slotted past the Belgian stopper in the third minute of stoppage time.
The result sees the Gunners advance to just the third Champions League semi-final in the club’s history and Mikel Arteta became only the second man in Gunners’ history to lead them into a European Cup final four after Arsene Wenger.
French champions Paris Saint-Germain await, with the first leg taking place at the Emirates on April 19 ahead of the return leg on May 7.
