Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal LIVE: Team news as Gunners juggle injuries ahead of crucial Champions League semi-final | OneFootball

Atletico saw off Barcelona in a dramatic game to make the semi-finals (Getty)

Atletico Madrid host Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League semi-finals, with both teams still in pursuit of a maiden trophy in Europe’s top tier.

Tuesday night saw PSG edge out Bayern Munich in a thrilling 5-4 first-leg tie showcasing the best of both sides - although tonight’s affair is likely to be a rather different type of football altogether.

Diego Simeone’s side saw off Barcelona in an enthralling 3-2 quarter-final tie on aggregate, while Mikel Arteta’s men did just enough in a rather more pedestrian 1-0 aggregate win over Sporting Lisbon.

Arsenal ran out 4-0 winners in the two sides’ league phase encounter earlier this season but both sides have transformed since then. The Gunners appear depleted and low on confidence after being pegged back in the Premier League title race, while Atletico ran out 3-2 winners in La Liga in their last game and have looked a different beast in the knockout stages.

Odegaard's view

The Arsenal captain, speaking in his pre-match press conference, was open when discussing the weight of pressure his squad may be feeling as they strive to win a trophy.

“That is always going to be there until we win (a trophy) and we have to live with that and we have to draw on those past experiences and use it in a good way,” he said.

“We are in a great position to make history and that is what we want to do. We want to take that last step and do something big and that is the biggest goal, the biggest dream and that’s what we’re working towards every single day.

“I don’t understand how you can’t enjoy it. We are ready for it.”

They've done this before

The teams also met eight years ago in a Europa League semi-final with the first leg in north London ending 1-1 - Alexandre Lacazette’s opener cancelled out by Antoine Griezmann - before Atletico edged the second meeting 1-0 at home thanks to Diego Costa, who was assisted by Griezmann.

Not a single member of that Arsenal team remains at the club but Atletico’s squad still contains Griezmann, Jose Gimenez, Koke and goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

Alan Smith29 April 2026 17:50

Previous meeting

It was only October when the teams most recently met - Atletico departing the Emirates with a 4-0 defeat because of a brace from Viktor Gyokeres and a goal apiece from Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli.

But it is worth remember that match was scoreless until almost an hour in.

Viktor Gyokeres scored twice in Arsenal’s win back in October. (PA Wire)

Alan Smith29 April 2026 17:43

Simeone in profile

This Atletico is not the same as the Atletico of old and if Diego Simeone can seal a Champions League title it would cap a truly astonishing evolution, according to senior correspondent Richard Jolly.

Richard Jolly

Alan Smith29 April 2026 17:37

Arteta's challenge to stars

Mikel Arteta has told his Arsenal players to go behind enemy lines and deliver a statement victory tonight.

Speaking on the eve of his side’s pivotal match in the Spanish capital, which is forecast to be affected by a heavy storm, Arteta said: “This is the stage that we want to be and we have earned it through incredible work, passion and quality in the last nine months.

“Now is the moment to make a statement and show how good we are, how much we want it and make it happen. The opportunity is in front of us and we have to attack it.

“We have prepared the game to win it. There’s no question about that. We know the difficulty of the match, but I think we have shown in Europe, in any ground, what we are capable of.

“We’ve been very consistent and tomorrow we have to play with that confidence, with that desire and that will. We have to come here to win the game.”

Alan Smith29 April 2026 17:30

Arsenal abuzz again

To see the Arsenal squad at training this week, you wouldn’t necessarily think they were about to play for just a second Champions League final in their history. So many people at the club say they’ve just been more relaxed, and that’s actually been the case for every European game this season.

It has been a quirk of this otherwise arduously laboured campaign. There’s been so much focus on the Premier League and everything that great quest represents, that the greatest trophy in club football has almost been… overlooked.

And yet here they are, the squad newly abuzz.

Arsenal face a busy end to the season with a two-legged European tie against Atletico Madrid to come over the next week (Getty)

Miguel Delaney29 April 2026 17:24

Early Atletico team news

The big question is whether Ademola Lookman can feature having sat out the weekend La Liga win against Athletic Club owing to a muscle issue. Julian Alvarez is expected to be involved having shaken off a thigh issue.

Defenders Jose Gimenez and David Hancko could return too following injuries but Pablo Barrios will not be in the engine room owing to a hamstring strain.

Alan Smith29 April 2026 17:18

Early Arsenal team news

Eberechi Eze came off after scoring the winner against Newcastle United on Saturday, a nervy result that moved Arsenal back to the Premier League’s summit. But he is apparently fine to feature tonight. There is less positive news around Kai Havertz though. The Germany star also hobbled off at the weekend and is not involved this evening.

Riccardo Calafiori is back in training and may return to the bench, though Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino remain absent.

Alan Smith29 April 2026 17:12

Shifting styles

After the highest-scoring semi-final game in the competition’s history, the expectation from all quarters is that tonight’s match will be a little more, well, measured. No less intense, of course, but instead of the attack after attack approach at Parc des Princes, the Metropolitano should see two teams more eager to keep things a bit tighter.

A prediction is difficult beyond feeling confident that the tie will be very much alive for next week’s second leg in north London.

Alan Smith29 April 2026 17:05