First instalment of the battle to reach Budapest : Picture by @YTJourno
**Champions League semi-final first leg**
**Atletico Madrid (0) 1** Alvarez pen 56
**Arsenal (1) 1** Gyokeres pen 44
Judging by all the eulogies rightly heaped upon PSG and Bayern after the previous day's scintillating first semi-final, this tie is one that's hardly worth winning.
Humiliation is confidently being predicted for the poor saps destined to just make up the numbers in Budapest on May 30 - whether that is Atleti or Arsenal. But of course, you never know for sure.
Neither side has won the giant trophy before and neither can afford to pass up this chance to give it a go. They are the two teams to have played the most games in the competition without winning it. That's 223 ECL and European Cup outings in Arsenal's case and 190 for Atleti.
This game may not have thrown up the attacking prowess seen in Paris but this was still a fascinating arm wrestle and the contest at a raucous Metropolitano ended all square.
It was a tale of penalties, with Viktor Gyokeres cashing in emphatically just before the interval after inducing a foul and Julian Alvarez replying in kind 10 minutes into the second half after a shot hit Ben White's hand.
There could have been a third spot kick too. The Gunners felt cheated after VAR effectively overturned the ref's call to award another penalty to Arsenal after Eberechi Eze appeared to have been tripped.
Diego Simeone led the howls of protest - as he had done in persuading VAR to get involved after the White handball was not initially penalised.
That said a win would have been a steal as most of the danger came at the other end, especially after the equaliser when the stadium started rocking as the volume rose and home fans were bouncing.
David Raya, who had saved from the fleet footed Ademola Lookman just before the goal, was left floundering as an Antoine Griezmann volley crashed off the crossbar.
But Mikel Arteta will take heart from the way his team controlled events superbly in the first half - Declan Rice the colossus at the heart of it all - and for the way they rode the Atleti storm to finish the stronger of the two teams.
Tuesday promises to be a dramatic and emotional night at the Emirates as the Gunners aim to reach the Champions League final for only a second time.
**Atleti:** (4-4-2) Oblak - Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri - Simeone, Koke, Cardoso, Lookman - Griezmann, Alvarez
**Gunners**: (4-3-3) Raya - White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie - Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice - Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli