Soccer-Late Havertz strike gives Arsenal 1-0 lead over Sporting


Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Quarter Final - First Leg - Sporting CP v Arsenal - Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal - April 7, 2026 Arsenal's Kai Havertz celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Pedro Nunes

LISBON, April ⁠7 (Reuters) - Arsenal substitute Kai Havertz ⁠scored a stoppage-time goal to ‌snatch a 1-0 win at Sporting in the first leg of their Champions ​League quarter-final on Tuesday.

The ⁠Germany forward ⁠was found unmarked inside the box ⁠by Gabriel ‌Martinelli before calmly slotting the ball past ⁠goalkeeper Rui Silva to settle a ​tactical ‌encounter.

After a first half in ⁠which Sporting's ​Maxi Araujo and Arsenal's Noni Madueke struck the woodwork, the ⁠visitors had a Martin ​Zubimendi effort disallowed before David Raya produced several late saves to deny ⁠the home side.

The deadlock was finally broken in added time by Havertz, who replaced the ​injured Martin Odegaard ⁠in the 70th minute, to secure ​the advantage before ‌the return legnext Wednesday.

(Reporting ​by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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