🕟 Kick Off: 20:00 BST 🏟️ Venue: Metropolitano Stadium 📺 UK Broadcaster: TNT Sports 🙎🏻♂️ Referee: Danny Makkelie 🇳🇱 📹 VAR: Dennis Higler 🇳🇱 🔴 Arsenal Team News: Kai Havertz (Muscle): Ruled Out. Following his early withdrawal against Newcastle, Arteta confirmed today that Havertz has not traveled. Viktor Gyökeres is expected to lead the line in his place. Jurrien Timber (Groin): Ruled Out. Remains sidelined and did not travel with the squad to Madrid. Mikel Merino (Foot): Ruled Out. Continuing his long-term recovery; not expected back for several weeks. ⚽ Arsenal Form: 🟩🟥🟧🟥🟩 🇪🇸 Atleti Team News: Pablo Barrios (Hamstring): Ruled Out. Simeone described his injury as "difficult" and confirmed he will miss the first leg. Jose Maria Giménez (Muscle): Ruled Out. The veteran defender remains sidelined. Julian Alvarez (Knock): Probable. While listed as a doubt by some, Simeone hinted today that he is ready to feature tomorrow. Ademola Lookman & David Hancko: Major Doubts. Both face late fitness tests tomorrow morning following ankle and muscle issues. ⚽ Atleti Form: 🟩🟥🟧🟥🟥 ⚔️ Head-to-Head: Arsenal 4–0 Atletico Madrid (Oct 21 2025, UCL League Phase) Atletico Madrid 1–0 Arsenal (May 3 2018, Europa League Semi-Final) Arsenal 1–1 Atletico Madrid (Apr 26 2018, Europa League Semi-Final) 📖 Match Facts: Atleti have won only two of their last twelve matches against English opposition (D2 L8). Arsenal have won their last four away matches in Spain. Atleti was the final team faced by Arsene Wenger in European competition during his tenure as Arsenal manager. Both Arsenal and Atleti recently lost domestic cup finals, with Atleti losing the Copa del Rey final on penalties against Real Sociedad 10 days ago. 📸 Previously in this fixture... Drawing Arsenal in the league phase, Atleti visited the Emirates this season for the first time since 2018. Despite a 0-0 start in the first half, goals from Gabriel, Martinelli, and a brace from Gyokeres gave us a 4-0 victory on our way to a perfect league phase. LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Gabriel of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Arsenal FC and Atletico de Madrid at Arsenal Stadium on October 21, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Gabriel Magalhaes celebrates scoring the 1st Arsenal goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Arsenal FC and Atletico de Madrid at Arsenal Stadium on October 21, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Viktor Gyoekeres of Arsenal poses for a photo with the PlayStation Player Of The Match award following the team's victory during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Arsenal FC and Atletico de Madrid at Arsenal Stadium on October 21, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) ✍🏼 Pre-Match Ramblings Despite Arsenal playing in their second consecutive Semi Final in the Champions League, I have seen little discussion or hype around this fixture. This is entirely down to the precariousness of our position at the top of the Premier League table, and the (misplaced?) expectation from fans that we will beat Atleti. It's been far too easy to get caught up in the discussions around the domestic run-in that this magnitude of this fixture has been diminished. Atletico de Madrid are not a team to be scoffed at. This is a team and manager combo that have appeared in 13 consecutive Champions League, whilst Arsenal are recent returnees to the competition after a spell in the Europa League, and a year out of Europe entirely. The run of Atleti includes two runners-up medals, and two further appearances in Seme-Finals. By all measurable metrics, their European pedigree is far above ours. Despite all this, we are the favourites to make what would be our second ever Champions League final. Historically, Atleti have a reputation for playing turgid, slow, methodical, but effective football, often resulting in low scoring results. In recent years Simeone has shifted them away from this style and moved their bus further forward into the middle of the pitch. This is interesting, as this style of opposition has been the kryptonite of Arteta's Arsenal in the past few seasons. In the Champions League this season, Atleti lead the metric of balls recovered and sit behind only Real Madrid in tackles. On the contrary, Arsenal lead in clean sheets and goals conceded. May we be about to see an immovable object take on an unstoppable force? Arsenal have been neither as of late, and Atleti aren't on a great run of form in all competitions. The one in, one out injury policy for Arsenal continued against Newcastle as we saw Saka return as well as Havertz come off early. Eze was also forced off, but is supposedly fit and ready to start tomorrow. We finally have another option at RW with Saka looking incredibly lively when he came on against Newcastle, immediately creating a chance on the right wing. Havertz out is a huge blow and makes our choice at striker predictable for Atleti. Gyokeres will start up front tomorrow, and patience is running thing for the Swede as the sun sets on his first season at Arsenal. Despite being our top scorer, he has only scored 9 non penalty goals, and with every game the gaping holes in his profile seem to become even more obvious. Whatever you think of him and his fit into our team, it's too late now, we need big things from him if we are going to take home any of the trophies come the end of this marathon of a season. As I write this, PSG have just scored 2 goals in 3 minutes to make it 5-2 against Bayern in a game some are heralding as the early final. I won't get ahead of myself, but any final will be against one of the two best attacking teams in the world. Let's make sure we're in that final. Oh wait, Upamecano just scored to make it 5-3. https://anditsarsenal.com/2026/04/28/atletico-de-madrid-vs-arsenal-29th-april-2026-champions-league-semi-final-match-preview/   submitted by   /u/Mahoganychicken [link]   [comments]