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Two of European football’s most distinct identities collide at one of Spain’s most intimidating venues when Atletico Madrid host Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
Diego Simeone’s side arrive here after one of the most dramatic knockout runs in recent memory. They knocked out Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate in the last eight, with Julian Alvarez’s free-kick at the Camp Nou a moment that summed up everything dangerous about this Atletico side. Arsenal, meanwhile, reached this stage on the back of a 1-0 aggregate win over Sporting CP, and they enter as the only unbeaten team left in the competition this season.
The gap between these two sides was clear to see in October, when Arsenal hammered Atletico 4-0 in the league phase, a ruthless 13-minute spell turning a stalemate into an embarrassing scoreline.However, Simeone has shown time and again over two decades that he builds teams capable of bouncing back from humiliation, and the Metropolitano is a world away from the atmosphere at the Emirates. Atletico have beaten Tottenham and Barcelona at this ground already this season, and they come into this one with momentum despite some shaky form in La Liga.
Arsenal bring structure, depth, and a confidence built on their season-long unbeaten record in Europe. They topped the league phase with eight wins from eight, scored 23 goals, and conceded just four, which suggests they are the better team over a long campaign.However, Arteta knows a two-legged semi-final in Madrid is a completely different animal. Recent Premier League form has been patchy; defeats to Manchester City and Bournemouth show that Arsenal aren’t bulletproof. Whoever controls the tempo in the first 20 minutes will likely set the tone for the whole tie.

- Location: Madrid, Spain
- Stadium: Riyadh Air Metropolitano
- Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2026
- Kick-off time: 21:00 CEST
- Referee: Danny Makkelie
- Game Predictions: Click here
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Team news & squads
Predicted Lineups

Atletico Madrid News

Atletico Madrid are gearing up for their seventh European Cup/Champions League semi-final and their first since the 2016-17 campaign after edging past Spanish rivals Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.Long-regarded as a conservative unit under head coach Diego Simeone, Atleti have reimagined their identity on the continent this term, having already recorded their highest-ever goal tally in Europe’s premier competition with 34 goals – eclipsing their previous best from the 2013-14 campaign (26). They scored eight of their UCL goals this season against Arsenal’s rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a two-legged last-16 win (8-5).The Madrid-based giants have found the net in each of their last 12 matches across all competitions, most recently winning 3-2 at home to Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Saturday, ending a four-game losing run in the top flight and consolidating their place in the top four.
Atletico Madrid duo Pablo Barrios (hamstring) and Jose Gimenez (muscle) are sidelined through injury, while Ademola Lookman (muscle) and David Hancko (ankle) are both doubtful and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.Arsenal-linked Julian Alvarez was a minor doubt with ‘discomfort’. The Argentine was an unused substitute last weekend, but he has since confirmed that he is "100% and ready to play" against the Gunners, and could be handed a start alongside either Antoine Griezmann or Alexander Sorloth, who scored a brace against Athletic last time out.Johnny Cardoso, Rodrigo Mendoza or Marcos Llorente could be recalled to replace Barrios and start in centre-midfield alongside Koke. Llorente is also a contender to start at right-back, but Nahuel Molina may get the nod on this occasion.
Arsenal News

For the first time in the club’s history, Arsenal have reached the Champions League semi-finals for the second successive season, and for the fourth time overall, after edging past Sporting Lisbon 1-0 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, following up a 1-0 first-leg win in Portugal with a 0-0 second-leg draw in North London.Mikel Arteta’s side topped the 36-team league phase with a perfect record (W8 D0 L0) and they remain the only unbeaten team in this season’s Champions League (W10 D2); they have, in fact, lost just two of their last 22 matches in the competition (W17 D3).Arsenal’s recent domestic form has been far from impeccable, but they ended a disappointing four-game losing streak - which included an EFL Cup final loss and FA Cup elimination - by securing a slender 1-0 home victory over Newcastle United on Saturday. This much-needed result re-established their three-point lead at the top of the Premier League table over title rivals Manchester City.
Kai Havertz (muscle) has joined Mikel Merino (foot) and Jurrien Timber (ankle) in the treatment room after sustaining a muscle injury in the win over Newcastle.Eberechi Eze came off with a similar problem, but Arteta has confirmed that he is "ready to go", while Riccardo Calafiori could also be back in the matchday squad having taken part in training this week. Martin Zubimendi should also be fit to feature after illness forced him to be withdrawn early against Newcastle.Although Arteta will be tempted to stick with Eze on the left flank, he may decide to recall either Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Trossard to his first XI, while Viktor Gyokeres is poised to replace Havertz up front.Bukayo Saka made a notable impression as a substitute against Newcastle after recovering from injury, and the Gunners starboy may be handed his first start in over a month on the right wing, while the rest of Arteta’s lineup could remain intact.
Current Form
Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid Head-to-Head Records
| Date/Competition | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/10/22 UEFA Champions League | Arsenal | 4-0 (HT 0-0 FT 4-0) | Atletico Madrid |
| 2018/07/26 International Champions Cup | Atletico Madrid | 1-1 (PEN 3-1, HT 1-0 FT 1-1) | Arsenal |
| 2018/05/04 UEFA Europa League | Atletico Madrid | 1-0 (HT 1-0 FT 1-0) | Arsenal |
| 2018/04/27 UEFA Europa League | Arsenal | 1-1 (HT 0-0 FT 1-1) | Atletico Madrid |
Atletico Madrid Recent Matches
| Date/Competition | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/04/26 La Liga | Atletico Madrid | 3-2 (HT 0-1 FT 3-2) | Athletic Club |
| 2026/04/23 La Liga | Elche | 3-2 (HT 2-2 FT 3-2) | Atletico Madrid |
| 2026/04/19 Copa del Rey | Atletico Madrid | 2-2 (PEN 3-4, HT 1-2 FT 2-2) | Real Sociedad |
| 2026/04/15 UEFA Champions League | Atletico Madrid | 1-2 (HT 1-2 FT 1-2) | FC Barcelona |
| 2026/04/12 La Liga | Sevilla FC | 2-1 (HT 2-1 FT 2-1) | Atletico Madrid |
| 2026/04/09 UEFA Champions League | FC Barcelona | 0-2 (HT 0-1 FT 0-2) | Atletico Madrid |
| 2026/04/05 La Liga | Atletico Madrid | 1-2 (HT 1-1 FT 1-2) | FC Barcelona |
| 2026/03/23 La Liga | Real Madrid | 3-2 (HT 0-1 FT 3-2) | Atletico Madrid |
| 2026/03/19 UEFA Champions League | Tottenham Hotspur | 3-2 (HT 1-0 FT 3-2) | Atletico Madrid |
| 2026/03/14 La Liga | Atletico Madrid | 1-0 (HT 1-0 FT 1-0) | Getafe |
Arsenal Recent Matches
| Date/Competition | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/04/26 Premier League | Arsenal | 1-0 (HT 1-0 FT 1-0) | Newcastle United |
| 2026/04/19 Premier League | Manchester City | 2-1 (HT 1-1 FT 2-1) | Arsenal |
| 2026/04/16 UEFA Champions League | Arsenal | 0-0 (HT 0-0 FT 0-0) | Sporting CP |
| 2026/04/11 Premier League | Arsenal | 1-2 (HT 1-1 FT 1-2) | Bournemouth AFC |
| 2026/04/08 UEFA Champions League | Sporting CP | 0-1 (HT 0-0 FT 0-1) | Arsenal |
| 2026/04/05 FA Cup | Southampton | 2-1 (HT 1-0 FT 2-1) | Arsenal |
| 2026/03/23 English Football League Cup | Arsenal | 0-2 (HT 0-0 FT 0-2) | Manchester City |
| 2026/03/18 UEFA Champions League | Arsenal | 2-0 (HT 1-0 FT 2-0) | Bayer 04 Leverkusen |
| 2026/03/15 Premier League | Arsenal | 2-0 (HT 0-0 FT 2-0) | Everton |
| 2026/03/12 UEFA Champions League | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | 1-1 (HT 0-0 FT 1-1) | Arsenal |


