Arsenal welcome Atletico Madrid to the Emirates Stadium for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final with the tie poised at 1-1 after the first leg in Spain
Tom Phillips
11:26, 05 May 2026
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Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, speaks to the media during the Press Conference on the day ahead of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Semi Final Second Leg match between Arsenal FC and Atletico de Madrid
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Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, speaks to the media during the Press Conference on the day ahead of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Semi Final Second Leg match between Arsenal FC and Atletico de Madrid(Image: Harry Murphy/Getty Images)
The decisive leg arrives at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal host Atletico Madrid with both teams level following last week's encounter at the Metropolitano. The bookmakers have installed the Gunners as clear favourites for this fixture at 4/7 with BetGoodwin, while Atletico are priced at 9/2 with William Hill and a stalemate forcing extra-time stands at 3/1 with Betfair.
The opening leg in Madrid - a contest defined by three penalty appeals - concluded 1-1, leaving Mikel Arteta's team with a marginal advantage ahead of their most significant European night in two decades. Arsenal would have accepted a victory, a draw, or even a slender loss at the Metropolitano, so the result appeared satisfactory on the surface, despite evident disappointment at the final whistle.
Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez both scored from the penalty spot either side of the interval, but Arteta was left "furious" when a second Arsenal spot-kick was overturned following a VAR review - as Atletico manager Diego Simeone passionately protested behind referee Danny Makkelie. Only the match officials can determine whether the Eberechi Eze–David Hancko incident satisfied the "clear and obvious" threshold, but controversy notwithstanding, escaping defeat away in a Champions League semi-final represents a considerable accomplishment.
Maintaining their unbeaten record in this season's Champions League, Arsenal will establish a new club benchmark with a 14-match undefeated streak in the tournament should they conclude their two-decade absence from another final. Recent European and domestic form indicates they possess every opportunity.
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Arteta's squad prepared with a commanding 3-0 victory over an illness-affected Fulham on Saturday, extending their advantage to six points above Manchester City at the Premier League summit following one of their most polished displays in recent weeks. Arsenal's history against Spanish opposition at the Emirates is equally impressive: just one defeat across their last 15 UEFA home encounters with La Liga sides, a 2-0 reverse to Barcelona in 2015-16. And it was merely six months ago that the Gunners demolished Atletico 4-0 in the league phase, reports the Mirror.
That comprehensive defeat marked a watershed moment for Atletico, sparking a revival that temporarily enhanced their La Liga title aspirations, but another campaign without silverware now beckons if Simeone's side cannot deliver in North London. They have already endured Copa del Rey final heartbreak against Real Sociedad, and their league season offers minimal drama, with a top-four berth confirmed as Barcelona move closer to the championship. With their priorities evidently lying elsewhere, Simeone was afforded the luxury of making wholesale changes for Saturday's trip to Valencia, yet even a heavily rotated squad — subsequently bolstered by the introductions of Koke and Antoine Griezmann — still secured a comfortable 2-0 victory. Much like Arsenal, Atletico arrive on the back of a win-draw-win sequence from their last three fixtures, having finally stabilised following a torrid spring run that yielded seven defeats in eight matches between 18th March and 22nd April.
Atletico have advanced from six of their last 10 European two-legged ties after drawing the first leg at home, and a final showdown at the Puskas Arena against either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain would beckon should they produce another memorable away display. Simeone's outfit also knocked Arsenal out in the 2017-18 Europa League semi-finals — and will be hell-bent on breaking red-and-white hearts once more.
Arsenal vs Atletico Prediction
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