"An incredible journey": Gabriel Martinelli's dream comes true
Arsenal are in their grasp for the trophy, with the Gunners just two steps away. Gabriel Martinelli speaks of "a dream" and wants to make history with his team.
Wants the trophy: Gabriel Martinelli. IMAGO/Gribaudi/ImagePhoto
"This is something very special, we are full of energy and I can't wait to play the game tomorrow," said Gunners coach Mikel Arteta at the press conference on Monday ahead of the first leg against Paris (Tuesday, 9 p.m., LIVE! on kicker).
With a convincing victory against Real Madrid, beating them 3-0 at home and 2-1 away, Arsenal deservedly advanced to the semifinals of the Champions League. Their next challenge awaits them there: PSG. "They have a great team and great players, but we're very confident and believe in ourselves," said attacker Gabriel Martinelli .
The Brazilian spoke of his biggest game yet, which he will experience on Tuesday at the Emirates Stadium. "It's a dream to be here. Ever since I started playing football at the age of five or six, I've had the dream of playing in the Champions League. And now to be in the semifinals is incredible. We deserve to be here and we're ready," said the 23-year-old, who added: "The club deserves the title; it's one of the biggest clubs in the world."
Gunners aim for second finalAfter Gabriel Martinelli played the biggest game of his career to date, the return leg in Paris is definitely still on the agenda. And then, of course, they'll go one step further. Arsenal are aiming to reach the Champions League final for the second time after 2006 ( 1-2 loss to Barcelona) and lift the trophy for the first time.
"This has been an incredible journey for me here; I've improved both on and off the pitch. When I arrived, we were playing in the Europa League, and now we're in the semifinals of the Champions League," said Gabriel Martinelli, who joined from Brazilian club Ituano FC in 2019. He added: "I'm very proud of the team, the club—and myself."
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