Diego Simeone rested his entire Atletico Madrid starting XI just three days before their Champions League clash at Arsenal.
Atletico returned to LaLiga action on Saturday with a 2-0 win away at Valencia as they look to finish in the top four.
Atletico Madrid v Arsenal in the Champions League.
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It finished all square between Atletico and Arsenal in the first legCredit: Getty
But they are closing in on what is arguably their biggest match of the season - their semi-final second leg away to Arsenal.
The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw, with Julian Alvarez scoring a penalty for Atletico after a Viktor Gyokeres spot-kick in the first half.
It means it's evenly poised heading into the reverse fixture and, in an apparent attempt of ideal preparation, Simeone made a bold call.
None of the starting XI that featured against Arsenal midweek played from the outset against Valencia.
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Jan Oblak, Marc Pubill, Matteo Ruggeri, Giuliano Simeone, Koke, Johnny Cardoso, Ademola Lookman, Antoine Griezmann and Alvarez were all benched.
Marcos Llorente and David Hancko were not in the squad at all.
Iker Luque and Miguel Cubo netted in their victory, which has given Atletico a huge boost ahead of the upcoming European showdown.
European dreams
For both Atletico and Arsenal, a win on Tuesday night would mean so much as they chase Champions League glory.
Their first leg was controversial to say the least, with Eberechi Eze having a penalty overturned late on at the Metropolitano.
Diego and Giuliano Simeone were also involved in a confrontation with Ben White after he walked on the Atletico badge by the tunnel.
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone.
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Simeone decided make 11 changes to his starting XICredit: Getty
Atletico Madrid celebrate against Valencia.
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Despite this, Atletico still won all three points against ValenciaCredit: Getty
The Emirates Stadium will host round two, where victory for either side would book their spot in the final in Budapest on May 30.
For Atletico, they can reach their first final since 2016, when they lost to city rivals Real Madrid on penalties.
They are also playing in their first semi-final in the competition since 2017 when they were beaten, once again, by Madrid.
Arsenal, on the other hand, have not reached the Champions League showpiece for 20 years.
Their first and only appearance in the final was in 2006 where they led Barcelona, only to lose 2-1.
Whoever wins will meet Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in the final, with their aggregate score currently at 5-4 to the latter.