Arsenal practically assured its place in the round of 16 of the Champions League with a routine victory over the Dinamo Zagreb.
The goals of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard were enough against a dynamo that presented little offensive threat.
Rice advanced to the Gunners after two minutes, but the Arsenal had to wait until mediated the second half before ensuring victory when Havertz nodded after a good job of the impressive Gabriel Martinelli. Odegaard added a third in the added time.
Mikel Arteta’s men went up to third place in the renewed table of the Champions League, three points ahead of the teams that occupy the places from ninth to 13 and only a series of miraculous results can deny them the automatic classification for the qualifying phases .
After wasting a 2-0 advantage over Aston Villa over the weekend, the Arsenal could be forgiven for doubting a little at the beginning, but, instead, they were shot and took the lead in their first attack.
The rice is scored early
Martinelli led him on the left with his damping center wonderfully by Havertz on the road of Rice and the English midfielder hit home. It was the earliest goal that Arsenal scored in the Champions League in more than 10 years.
It was almost 2-0 after 14 minutes when Gabriel found a corner with a characteristic race only for his header to pass over the post.
There were some moments of nervousness towards the end of half when Arsenal, perhaps suffering a touch of complacency, was dispossessed by Dinamo’s high pressure, but David Raya was never called to take serious measures.
And the Gunners finished the first 45 minutes with the front foot when Odegaard played in Martinelli and his shot was arrested by the visiting goalkeeper Ivan Nevistic.
The second half continued in a similar line with Arsenal in command but without any avant -garde.
Redemption for Havertz under fire
That changed in the 66th minute, when Havertz doubled the advantage of the premises. Martinelli was the architect again, cutting down the left before launching a magnificent center that the German international headed.
Kai Havertz scores the second of Arsenal’s night 🫡
A crack ball by Gabriel Martinelli 📌
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusuk pic.twitter.com/fmmmipkgpp
– Soccer in TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 22, 2025
It was the first game of the Champions League in which Havertz scored and attended and will relieve the pressure on the former Chelsea player, who was subject to strong criticism after wasting a series of opportunities during the weekend.
RICE should have added a third party, but somehow a center of the Ethan Nwaneri substitute from six yards headed.
Odegaard was more clinical in the discount time, taking advantage of a diverted center by Leandro Trosssard.
