The Estadio Metropolitano will play host to a mammoth semifinal first-leg clash between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal, with each of their styles taking precedence.
Style of play has been the focus of the media and the fans alike over specific teams this season, with Champions League semifinalists Atletico Madrid and Arsenal not particularly liked by those claiming to be football purists. Speaking of Atletico Madrid, they did win their battle over Barcelona in the quarterfinals, which did carry the narrative about style over substance, with the latter coming out victorious.
Atletico Madrid are experienced in playing at this stage of the Champions League, although they have yet to taste success by lifting the ultimate prize. Diego Simeone will be prepared for an intense battle with Arsenal and will take lessons from their league phase loss to the Gunners in north London.
Heading into Wednesday’s monumental clash, Atletico Madrid more or less confirmed their top-four spot by clinching an exciting win over Athletic Club. Simeone knows the pressure will be on the home side to perform and deliver, as Arsenal will not make things any easier for them in the first leg.
Arsenal also secured a win at the weekend with the narrowest of margins over Newcastle United, courtesy of an early goal from Eberechi Eze. The Gunners put in a defensively sound performance from that point onwards, which did make things nervy for the fans in the stadium as well as those glued to the screens, but Mikel Arteta would interpret that display as a way of preparing for Atletico Madrid.
The Gunners have struggled of late with results, which have seen them bow out of the FA Cup, lose the Carabao Cup Final, and allow Manchester City back into the title race. In the Premier League, their objectives are well defined, requiring them to win all their remaining games and make maximum efforts to improve their goal difference, which does leave the title in their hands to some extent.
As for the Champions League, they managed to see out a resilient Sporting CP side over the two legs of their quarterfinal clashes. A late goal from Kai Havertz proved the difference in the tie, as Arsenal managed a goalless draw in the return leg at the Emirates. The focus at the moment on Arsenal is about their attacking game, something even Arteta knows the team needs massive improvements in if they are dreaming of a Final appearance in the Champions League.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
There are some injury concerns with this Atletico side to deal with ahead of hosting Arsenal at the Estadio Metropolitano. Key among those is the absence of midfielder Pablo Barrios, with the Spaniard now ruled out of both legs of the semifinal.
There are considerable doubts over key attacker Ademola Lookman, as well as defensive pair David Hancko and Jose Maria Gimenez. Those defensive absentees will run the depth in their backline thin, as Simeone’s side have kept only one clean sheet in their Champions League campaign this season, which came at the Camp Nou against Barcelona in the first leg of their quarterfinals.
There are alternatives for Simeone to cover for Barrios’ absence, as Rodrigo Mendoza or Jonny Cardoso are both options. Tactically, the manager would have preferred to use Marcos Llorente in a right-back role coming into the midfield, but between choosing a solid midfield or the full-back role, the Atletico boss might use the Spaniard in the middle alongside the experienced Koke.
Nahuel Molina could play right-back, while Robin Le Normand and Marc Pubill could start in central defence. Jan Oblak is also back, but there could be a late decision between using the known No.1 or impressive deputy Juan Musso. Should Lookman miss out, Alex Baena could start out wide in a 4-4-2, with Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann likely to form a front two partnership.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2) – Oblak; Molina, Le Normand, Pubill, Ruggeri; Simeone, Llorente, Koke, Baena; Griezmann, Alvarez
Arsenal
Arsenal suffered a double scare at the weekend, which brought about worried faces from the crowd during the win over Newcastle United. Kai Havertz went off in the first half with a potential groin issue, while Eberechi Eze also suffered a problem.
Eze has since alleviated fears by insisting his coming off was only a precaution, but there is cautious optimism over Havertz’s issue, with doubts persisting about whether he would be fit for Atletico. In his potential absence, Viktor Gyokeres is primed to lead the line against a team he scored twice against in the league phase round.
Bukayo Saka also made his return after missing the last five games, and the improvements in the attack were there to be seen immediately. The winger could be in line to start this first-leg clash in Madrid, which will be a welcome boost for Arteta.
There are still doubts about Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber’s availability. Piero Hincapie looks secure at left-back, while Arteta made only one change at the weekend, which was to the right-back position. Hence, there is a chance for Cristhian Mosquera to replace Ben White there, but the latter could still retain his place. Beyond that, the team could be unchanged, especially if Eze turns up fit and Havertz’s issue is resolved.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1) – Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Eze; Gyokeres
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid have won 11 of their 15 previous UEFA two-legged ties against English sides, including all three semifinals.
- Atletico Madrid have kept a clean sheet just once in their Champions League campaign this season.
- Arsenal have won their last four away games against Spanish sides.
- Arsenal have conceded only five times in their 12 Champions League games this season.
Player to Watch
Bukayo Saka
Arsenal’s attack has been a major talking point in the media over the last month or so, which is a deserved criticism around that period for their lack of impetus going forward. The return of Saka on Saturday immediately saw the team perform better in the final third, and the winger appeared to galvanise the team as well as the fans with his brief display.
Saka is now expected to start at the Estadio Metropolitano on Wednesday, and he will be key to Arsenal’s success in the attacking third. His presence alone could be a big factor in how the Gunners think about attacking, as Arteta will certainly want him at his best, given they could potentially miss Havertz in the first leg at least.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 1-2 Arsenal
These are two teams with similar styles, known to make things intense as well as cagey on the pitch. While it is not right to call the two sets of managers ultra-pragmatic, there is certainly a cautious and controlled approach in them. Atletico Madrid could give the Gunners a tough clash at the Estadio Metropolitano, but it is difficult to envisage a win for the hosts here.
Arsenal are well-versed with situations like this, and Arteta is always welcoming of a challenge of this magnitude. Comparing different phases on the pitch, it is difficult to see beyond a narrow Arsenal win, as they are expected to take a slight advantage back to north London for the return leg next week.