Arsenal Off To Winning Start In Champions League With 2-0 Victory At Bilbao
1 min read
By Sportsgister
Arsenal began their UEFA Champions League campaign on a bright note, securing a 2-0 away win over Athletic Bilbao in the opening match of the league phase on Tuesday night.
Second-half substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard proved decisive, coming off the bench to deliver the goals that sealed all three points for Mikel Arteta’s men.
After a cagey first half where both sides struggled to create clear chances, Arsenal’s breakthrough came in the 72nd minute. Trossard slipped a clever pass into Martinelli’s path, and the Brazilian forward showed great composure to drive into the box before slotting calmly past the Bilbao goalkeeper.
The Gunners doubled their lead late on, with the roles reversed. In the 87th minute, Martinelli turned provider, cutting the ball back into Trossard’s path. The Belgian forward’s shot took a slight deflection before nestling into the net, putting the game beyond Bilbao’s reach.
There was also a late introduction for Arsenal’s summer signings Christian Norgaard and Piero Hincapie, who both made their competitive debuts when they came on in the 90th minute.
In the other Champions League fixture on the night, Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise stunned PSV Eindhoven with a 3-1 victory in the Netherlands.
Sedara Philip is a Sports writer, an administrator,Journalist,and editor
