PARIS: Arsenal came of age in Europe by dominating defending champions Real Madrid over two legs while Inter Milan also confirmed their spot in the Champions League semifinals at the expense of Bayern Munich.

Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli struck at the Bernabeu as Arsenal set-up a last-four appointment with Paris St Germain following a 5-1 aggregate victory over Real.

Arsenal had a 3-0 advantage from the first leg and Saka made up for a missed penalty in the first half by producing a superb finish in the 65th to set the Gunners on the path to dispatching the holders 2-1 in the second leg of their quarter-final.

Vinicius Junior pulled one back just two minutes later following a mistake by William Saliba but it was otherwise a comfortable night for Arsenal,whoadded asecondthroughMartinelli three minutes into added time and were driven on by man-of-the-match Declan Rice.

`It`s such a special night for this club, it`s a historic night for this club,` said Rice after Arsenal reached the semi-finals for the first time since 2009. `We have an objective in this competition. We want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition.

In the semi-finals last season, Real scored two late goals to secure a 2-1 comeback win in the second leg against Bayern and book a spot in the final. This year, however, they couldn`t stage another magical comeback.

`We didn`t create the goal chances we wanted to. We never let the game get completely out of our grasp but it was a stop-start affair, full of interruptions, and things didn`t seem to fall our way when they were 50-50, Real captain Lucas Vasquez told Movistar.

Harry Kane`s hopes of European glory were ended as Bayern Munich suffered a 4-3 aggregate defeat to Inter.

The tie looked to be in the balance when the England captain`s 40th goal in the competition in rewarded Bayern`s dominance over the opening 52 minutes to cancel out Inter`s 2-1 advantage from the first leg.

But it sparked the Serie A leaders into life as they took the lead through Lautaro Martinez and former Bayern defender Benjamin Pavard.

Eric Dier gave Bayern a spark of hope in the 76th, but despite a huge late pressure, the Germans fell one goal short of taking the game to extra-time.

Barcelona await treble-hunting Inter in the semis.

`We will remember this game for a long time, Inter never give up: We have personality, heart and head. We suffered, but we showed once again that we can do great things,` Martinez told broadcasters Prime Video. `It will be an important match against a great opponent, in the Champions League they have a lot of history. But now we concentrate on the league, then we`ll think about the Champions League.

Bayern, meanwhile, will miss the chance of playing the final at their own Allianz Arena in Munich on May 31.

`We cannot allow this elimination to ruin our season,` said Kane, who also faced criti-cism after several missed chances in both legs against the Italians. `We have the chance to win the title in the Bundesliga.

COMING OF AGE Arsenal`s commanding first-leg victory last week had laid the foundations in London but winning in the cauldron of the Santiago Bernabeu to complete the job was a significant milestone for Mikel Arteta`s rising stars.

Arteta`s only major trophy in five and a half years in charge remains the 2020 FA Cup, just months into his reign. But the Spaniard has transformed a sleeping giant back into serial contenders for major honours.

But the Spaniard has transformed a sleeping giant back into serial contenders for major honours.

Despite never winning the competition, Arsenal were part of the Champions League furniture during Arsene Wenger`s reign between 2000 and 2017 they were ever-present in Europe`s elite competition.

But when that run came to an end, they spent six seasons without Champions League football.

Slowly, Arteta rebuilt Arsenal back into a force around a core of promising talent now coming into their prime.

`It`s the third time in our history that we`ve done what we`ve just done [reaching the semifinals],` said Arteta. `So we need to build on that. We are really hungry, we want more. It`s a really young team that is very determined.

And all these experiences, including me for sure, is going to help us a lot to try to achieve something big.

As Real lick their wounds, coach Carlo Ancelotti must rally his troops as they look to reel in La Liga leaders Barca.

Real didn`t really offering a threat over two legs, a major cause for concern as Real trail Barca by four points and have won just one of their last five matches in all competitions.

Little wonder then that Ancelotti`s job hangs by a thread ahead of the Copa del Rey final later this month a Clasico against Barca.

`It could be this year, next year when my contract runs out [in June 2026]... There`s noproblem about it,` Ancelotti said when asked about his future as Real`s manager.

`But when I am done here, I will be grateful to this club. It could be tomorrow, in one year, or in 10 years, but I will be grateful to this club.

And that`s it, full stop.

`We have done very well in the last seasons but this year we have had to suffer. Things haven`t gone as expected, but in sport it happens because there are no unbeatable teams.

HOME FINAL DREAM Bayern`s dream of playing in the final at their home stadium lies in tatters but they can still salvage a successful season by bagging the Bundesliga and Club World Cup titles.

The Bavarians top the Bundesliga on 69 points, six ahead of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen with five games left to play and domestic success is now the top priority for Vincent Kompany`s team.

`I want to look ahead,` said coach Kompany, whose team will also take part in the Club World Cup starting in June in the US.

`In five months the Champions League starts again. The final in Munich is no longer there for us. But in one month we want to win a title [Bundesliga] and in two months there is the Club World Cup so it just keeps going.

Inter`s treble dream, meanwhile, is alive and kicking as they continue their Serie A title defence, and with a Coppa Italia semi-final second leg coming up next week against AC Milan, Simone manager Inzaghi must ensure his side are not distracted.

Inter won the treble in 2010, after beating Bayern to lift the Champions League and Inzaghi, whose side are three points ahead of Napoli in the Scudetto race, is still on course to repeat Jose Mourinho`s feat.

`It`s a beautiful evening, lived in our stadium, in front of our fans against a very strong team,` Inzaghi said. `We had to play two great games, putting everything we had. The boys were splendid, it`s a victory to share with the whole Inter world. We are moving forward in this long season that is giving us so many emotions.`-Agencies