Arsenal Face Atletico Madrid: Everything You Need to Know Before the Epic Clash

Arsenal welcome Atlético Madrid to the Emirates for the second leg of their Champions League semifinal on Tuesday evening, with the aggregate score level at 1–1.

The Gunners came away from the Spanish capital satisfied with their result and are considered favorites to advance to their first Champions League final since suffering a 2–1 defeat to Barcelona in Paris two decades ago.

Arsène Wenger's squad navigated past La Liga side Villarreal to reach the competition's showpiece in 2006, and fans will be desperately hoping history repeats itself this midweek. Arsenal have steadily elevated their Champions League status since returning to Europe's elite stage three years ago.

They reached the quarterfinals in 2023–24, followed by the semifinals last season. Getting past Atléti would mark a natural step forward, and a formidable opponent awaits them in Budapest.

Diego Simeone's Rojiblancos cannot be dismissed, however. After a surprisingly tentative opening on home turf, Atléti came alive at the beginning of the second half, and they'll back themselves to cause problems for the Gunners in north London.

The visitors are looking to reach the final for the third time under Simeone's tenure, though it has been ten years since they last appeared on club football's biggest stage.

Arsenal vs. Atletico Madrid Score Prediction

Gunners Reach First Champions League Final in 20 Years

Don't expect a repeat of the league phase encounter, when Arsenal dismantled Atléti in the second half to secure a commanding 4–0 triumph.

The Gunners have been inconsistent during the run-in, yet showed renewed confidence at the weekend with a convincing 3–0 victory over Fulham.

They'll be difficult to contain if they carry Saturday's energy into what promises to be an intense and electric night against opponents who believe this competition could be theirs to win for the very first time.

Prediction: Arsenal 2–1 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Atlético Madrid

Arteta revealed last week that he was optimistic Kai Havertz would be available for the return leg in north London, but Viktor Gyökeres is expected to keep his place following his impressive display at the weekend. The Swedish striker netted twice in a rare straightforward win for the Gunners against Fulham.

Declan Rice has been deployed effectively at the base of Arsenal's midfield across the last two matches and will continue there on Tuesday. Martín Zubimendi is set to join the engine room alongside Martin Ødegaard, who is fit again after sitting out the weekend's victory, with Eberechi Eze potentially getting the nod on the left flank.

Mikel Merino continues to be sidelined with a foot problem, and Jurriën Timber is also expected to miss out once more.

Arteta faces a decision between Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera at right back, along with a choice between Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapié at left back — the two main selection headaches for the Arsenal boss.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs. Atlético Madrid (4-2-3-1): Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapié; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Ødegaard, Eze; Gyökeres.

Atlético Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal

Simeone, as anticipated, made wholesale changes for Atléti's La Liga fixture at the weekend, and has since announced his 25-man squad for Tuesday's return leg.

Notably, last week's scorer Julián Alvarez has been included. The Argentine was substituted off after converting from the penalty spot with a suspected ankle issue, but is expected to be fit to start in north London.

Giuliano Simeone and Alexander Sørloth have both recovered from knocks to make the trip, while experienced defender José María Giménez could feature after bouncing back from a muscle complaint.

The side is expected to be largely unchanged from the first leg, with Jan Oblak returning between the posts, though Lucas Barrios suffered a thigh injury that may rule him out for the remainder of the season. Winger Nico González is once again unavailable.

Atlético Madrid predicted lineup vs. Arsenal (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Cardoso, Koke, Lookman; Griezmann, Alvarez.

What Time Does Arsenal vs. Atletico Madrid Kick Off?

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