Arsenal travel to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, aiming to reach their first final in the competition in 20 years. The match kicks off at 8pm and will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, and HBO Max.
Match Preview
Arsenal's only previous Champions League final appearance came in the 2005/06 season, when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona. Betting sites currently offer odds of 11/4 for the Gunners to go one better this time around. However, they face a stern test against an Atletico Madrid side that eliminated Barcelona in the quarter-finals.
The two teams have a tough act to follow after the other semi-final produced nine goals, with Paris St-Germain holding on to a 5-4 lead against Bayern Munich ahead of the second leg.
Head-to-Head Record
This will be only the fourth meeting between Atletico and Arsenal. Each side has won one, with one draw. Earlier this season, Arsenal won 4-0 at the Emirates, with goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli, and Viktor Gyokeres (2). They also met at this stage of the Europa League in 2017/18, when the first leg in Spain ended 1-1 after Antoine Griezmann cancelled out Alexandre Lacazette's opener, despite Atletico playing with 10 men for 80 minutes. Diego Costa's goal in the second leg secured a 2-1 aggregate win for Atletico, who went on to win the final.
Atletico have won 11 two-legged ties against English teams, including three semi-finals: against Liverpool in the 2009/10 Europa League, Chelsea in the 2013/14 Champions League, and Arsenal in the 2017/18 Europa League. They are 7/4 to reach this year's final.
Arsenal have won their last seven Champions League matches against Spanish opposition, including the 4-0 home victory over Atletico. This is only their second Champions League semi-final against a Spanish club, having beaten Villarreal 1-0 on aggregate in 2005/06. The Gunners narrowly overcame Sporting in the last round with a 1-0 win in Lisbon and a goalless draw at the Emirates. They also managed a 1-0 win over Newcastle United in their last Premier League outing.
Diego Simeone's side overcame Barcelona in the quarter-finals, winning 2-0 away before a 2-1 home defeat, progressing 3-2 on aggregate. Atletico have scored in all their Champions League games this season except the defeat to Arsenal, including 17 goals in their last six matches.
Betting Tips
Prediction 1: Draw - 23/10 with Bet365
Given the tight nature of previous encounters and the importance of the first leg, a draw is a strong possibility. Atletico are tough to beat at home, while Arsenal will be cautious not to lose.
Prediction 2: Julian Alvarez to Score Anytime - 13/5 with Betway
Alvarez, heavily linked with a summer move to Arsenal, could be a key figure. He has scored 19 goals this season, including nine in the Champions League. He has opened the scoring on nine occasions for club and country, and odds of 13/2 are available for him to score first.
Team News
Atletico Madrid: Pablo Barrios (hamstring) and Jose Gimenez (muscle) are ruled out. Ademola Lookman (muscle) and David Hancko (ankle) are doubts.
Arsenal: Mikel Merino, Kai Havertz, and Jurrien Timber are out. Eberechi Eze, Riccardo Calafiori, and Martin Zubimendi are fit. Bukayo Saka returned from injury as a substitute against Newcastle and could start for the first time in over a month.
Predicted Lineups
Atletico Madrid: Oblak; Molina, Le Normand, Lenglet, Ruggeri; Simeone, Koke, Cardoso, Gonzalez; Griezmann, Alvarez
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli
Free Bets Offer
Paddy Power offers new customers enhanced odds of 50/1 on a goal being scored at the Metropolitano Stadium. To claim, click the link, deposit at least £5, and wager a maximum of £1 on over 0.5 goals in the match. If a goal is scored, Paddy Power pays out in cash with extra winnings as free bets.
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