Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid - prediction, team news, lineups

Budapest dreams volition beryllium realised for either Arsenal oregon Atletico Madrid connected Tuesday evening, erstwhile the 2 Champions League hopefuls fastener horns successful the 2nd limb of their semi-final astatine the Emirates Stadium.

Last week's archetypal limb - a communicative of 3 penalties - ended successful a 1-1 stalemate successful the Spanish capital, putting Mikel Arteta's men astatine a marginal vantage up of their biggest European crippled successful 2 decades.

Match preview

Winning, drafting oregon adjacent losing by a constrictive scoreline would person been acceptable for Arsenal astatine the Metropolitano Stadium past week, truthful a two-goal stalemate was a good effect astatine look value, though determination was a palpable consciousness of Gunners vexation astatine afloat time.

Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez some held their nervus from 12 yards either broadside of the half-time whistle, but Arteta was near "furious" erstwhile his broadside had a 2nd punishment overturned aft a VAR review, during which his other fig Diego Simeone was frenetically waving his arms down referee Danny Makkelie.

Only Makkelie and his exertion squad tin reply whether the Eberechi Eze-David Hancko incidental met the 'clear and obvious' threshold, but contention aside, avoiding decision distant from location successful the archetypal limb of a Champions League semi-final is inactive thing to beryllium scoffed at.

Yet to endure decision successful the 2025-26 Champions League, Arsenal volition acceptable a caller nine grounds for their longest unbeaten streak successful the contention (14 matches) if they tin extremity their 20-year exile from the final, and caller European and home exploits suggest that Arteta's men tin bash conscionable that.

Indeed, Arsenal made it 2 wins from their past 3 matches with a regular 3-0 triumph implicit Fulham - albeit an illness-hit Fulham - connected Saturday, moving six wide of Manchester City astatine the apical of the Premier League table acknowledgment to 1 of their astir free-flowing displays successful caller memory.

Furthermore, lone 1 of the Gunners' past 15 UEFA location games against Spanish clubs has ended successful decision - a 2-0 nonaccomplishment to Barcelona successful the 2015-16 past 16 - and it has been conscionable implicit six months since Arsenal deed Atletico for 4 without reply successful the league phase.

That 4-0 hammering sparked a revival for this week's visitors, who instantly won 7 matches connected the rotation successful each tournaments to elevate their La Liga rubric credentials, but different trophyless play awaits if Simeone's men cannot close their Emirates errors.

Atletico person already suffered Copa del Rey last heartbreak astatine the hands of Real Sociedad and person small connected the enactment domestically, having already secured a top-four decorativeness successful La Liga portion Barcelona adjacent successful connected the title.

Simeone could truthful spend to marque a afloat 11 changes for Saturday's top-flight travel to Valencia, but adjacent Atletico's B squad - albeit 1 reinforced by Koke and Antoine Griezmann successful the 2nd fractional - ran retired 2-0 winners.

Matching Arsenal's win-draw-win series crossed their past 3 games, Los Rojiblancos person rediscovered that winning feeling astatine the close clip pursuing a shocking springtime run, which saw them endure 7 losses from 8 games betwixt March 18 and April 22.

Atletico person besides progressed from six of their erstwhile 10 European two-legged ties erstwhile drafting the archetypal limb astatine home, and a Puskas Arena conflict with Bayern Munich of Paris Saint-Germain volition await Simeone's broadside - who besides overcame Arsenal successful the 2017-18 Europa League semis - if they tin interruption reddish and achromatic hearts again.

Arsenal Champions League form:

Arsenal signifier (all competitions):

Atletico Madrid Champions League form:

Atletico Madrid signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Running the amusement with a extremity and assistance successful the archetypal fractional against Fulham, Bukayo Saka was past withdrawn during the break, but the 24-year-old's withdrawal was simply precautionary with Tuesday's lucifer successful mind.

Arteta is besides keeping his fingers crossed that Martin Odegaard (knee) and Kai Havertz (muscle) volition beryllium passed acceptable for Tuesday's match, but Jurrien Timber (groin) and Mikel Merino (foot) volition ticker connected helplessly.

Myles Lewis-Skelly excelled successful midfield during a uncommon commencement connected Saturday, but a well-rested Martin Zubimendi volition nary uncertainty beryllium restored to the starting lineup, and the aforesaid goes for Piero Hincapie implicit Riccardo Calafiori astatine left-back.

Meanwhile, Atletico suffered a large scare successful the archetypal limb erstwhile Alvarez hobbled disconnected successful the 2nd half, but examinations person ruled retired a superior wounded for the Argentine, who is expected to pb the enactment successful North London.

Alvarez incredibly broke a Lionel Messi grounds successful the archetypal leg, erstwhile helium became the quickest Argentine to deed the 25-goal people successful the Champions League, doing truthful successful 41 games; the eight-time Ballon d'Or victor needed 42.

Giuliano Simeone, Marcos Llorente, Alexander Sorloth and Hancko were besides spared astatine the weekend, but Jose Gimenez (unspecified) is much of a doubt, portion Pablo Barrios (thigh) and Nico Gonzalez (thigh) are absent.

Arsenal imaginable starting lineup:

Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Rice, Zubimendi; Saka, Eze, Trossard; Gyokeres

Atletico Madrid imaginable starting lineup:

Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Koke, Cardoso, Lookman; Alvarez, Griezmann

We say: Arsenal 2-1 Atletico Madrid (Arsenal triumph 3-2 connected aggregate)

Arsenal were successful nary presumption to bash an Atletico and remainder 11 players against Fulham, but the Gunners could arguably beryllium amended for it, arsenic Saka got 45 fantabulous minutes into his legs and Viktor Gyokeres bagged a morale-boosting brace.

Faced with an Atletico broadside renowned for a leaky defence distant from home, having conceded astatine slightest doubly successful 7 of their past 10 games connected the road, Arteta's revitalised onslaught tin occurrence the Gunners into the Champions League final.

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