The Football Faithful
·29 April 2026
Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal – Predicted lineup and team news

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Yahoo sportsThe Football Faithful
·29 April 2026

Atletico Madrid welcome Arsenal to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Wednesday for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final clash.
Diego Simeone’s side will be looking for a much better showing this time after suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat to Arsenal earlier in the group stage.
Atletico’s recent form has been inconsistent, with only two wins from their last nine games. They did manage a 3-2 win against Athletic Club recently, but defensive issues remain a concern. Their Champions League knockout matches this season have been high-scoring, averaging 4.7 goals per game.
Despite those problems at the back, they have been impressive going forward, scoring a club record 34 goals in this campaign. At home, they are especially strong, having never lost a Champions League knockout match to an English team at the Metropolitano.
Simeone is dealing with some key absences in midfield and defence. Pablo Barrios is expected to miss both legs due to a hamstring injury, while José María Giménez is still unavailable at the back.
There is some positive news in attack, with Julian Alvarez likely to return to the starting lineup after being rested in the last match.
Late decisions will be made on Ademola Lookman and David Hancko, who are both being assessed ahead of the game.
Jan Oblak is set to start in goal, with Antoine Griezmann joining the attack. Koke and Johnny Cardoso are expected to feature in midfield, while Clement Lenglet will partner either Marc Pubill or Robin Le Normand in central defence.
Possible Atletico Madrid starting XI: Oblak; Molina, Le Normand, Lenglet, Ruggeri; Simeone, Koke, Cardoso, Gonzalez; Griezmann, Alvarez
The match will kick off at 8pm BST on Wednesday, 29th April.
In the UK, the match will be shown live on TNT Sports 1, with streaming available via the discovery+ app for subscribers.









































