Arsenal
Arsenal will host Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League
The Emirates Stadium hosts Tuesday’s second leg with the tie perfectly balanced at 1-1 after Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez traded penalties in Madrid. Arsenal hold a slight advantage playing at home, but three specific matchups on the pitch will likely determine who heads to Budapest for the final on 30 May.
Gyokeres against the Atletico backline
Viktor Gyokeres bagged a much-needed brace against Fulham on Saturday, and he’s bringing that momentum straight into this second leg. The Swedish striker physically dominated Atletico’s defenders in the first leg, drawing the penalty that put Arsenal ahead. With Jose Gimenez still a doubt to start, Atletico’s defensive setup looks shaky. If Gyokeres gets the ball early, he can run at whoever starts next to Hancko and put Atletico under the kind of pressure they really struggled to handle during the first half in Madrid.
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Declan Rice is running the midfield
Rice pulled the strings in the first leg, completing 83 passes, the second-most ever recorded by an English midfielder in a Champions League semi-final. He clearly won the battle against Koke and Cardoso, and Arsenal need him to set the pace again at the Emirates.
Martin Zubimendi is back in the XI after sitting out against Fulham, which gives Arsenal even more control in the middle. Working together, they can cut off the supply to Griezmann and Lookman. That’s going to be huge, especially since Atletico’s attackers looked so dangerous once they found their rhythm in the second half of the first leg.
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Griezmann and Lookman against Arsenal’s high line
Griezmann rattled the crossbar, and Lookman fired right at Raya in the first leg when he really should have finished. Those missed chances will come back to haunt Atletico if they aren’t more clinical on Tuesday. Arsenal haven’t let in more than two goals in a game since January, and they’ve only conceded six times in the Champions League all season. If William Saliba and Gabriel can keep a lid on Atletico’s front two as they did in the opening 45 minutes in Madrid, Arsenal should find themselves in their first Champions League final since 2006.