Julian Alvarez scores penalty equalizer in Atletico Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal in UCL semifinal first leg

That’s the end of our live blog, with Atletico Madrid and Arsenal drawing 1-1 in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals. See you next time!

Atletico Madrid and Arsenal finish level after a hard-fought draw where Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez provided the only goals, both converting from the penalty spot.

After Eberechi Eze lost possession, Atletico surged forward to finish the move as Nahuel Molina unleashed a thunderous strike that whistled just over the crossbar.

Seven minutes of stoppage time have been added to the conclusion of the second half.

Johnny Cardoso makes way as Diego Simeone introduces Nahuel Molina to the pitch to provide fresh legs in the closing stages.

Cristhian Mosquera pushed forward into an attacking position and unleashed a powerful strike from the edge of the box that required a sharp deflection from Jan Oblak.

Ben White comes off the field, replaced by Cristhian Mosquera.

Despite ruling out the penalty, David Hancko saw the yellow card after protesting to the referee.

Following a VAR review, referee Danny Makkelie has overturned his original decision and ruled out the penalty kick.

Julian Alvarez dropped to the ground after Eberechi Eze caught his left leg during a fall, and the striker is now being replaced by Alex Baena.

Just after Eberechi Eze touched the ball, he was stomped on by David Hancko, prompting the referee to signal for a penalty.

After receiving the ball at the penalty spot, Ademola Lookman attempted a quick finish with his left foot, but his effort went straight into the waiting hands of David Raya.

Mikel Arteta rings the changes with a triple substitution, introducing Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Jesus in place of Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, and Viktor Gyokeres.

Julian Alvarez nearly caught everyone off guard with a direct attempt from the corner flag, but David Raya reacted quickly to tip the ball over the bar for another corner.

Following a pass from Lookman, Griezmann first rattled the crossbar and then saw his immediate follow-up effort deflected inches wide for a corner.

Julian Alvarez is currently lying on the pitch after a heavy challenge on his left knee from Declan Rice, prompting the referee to stop the game for medical attention.

After Atletico's goal, Mikel Arteta stars to move the pieces on the field: Eberechi Eze in, Martin Odegaard out.

Stepping up to take the penalty, Julian Alvarez unleashed a thunderous strike into the corner, leaving David Raya rooted to the center of the goal with no chance to make a save.

After a thunderous strike from Marcos Llorente struck the hand of Ben White, a lengthy VAR review confirmed the penalty.

Catching Arsenal on the break, Ademola Lookman made a shot that forced a solid save from David Raya. The rebound fell perfectly for Antoine Griezmann, who attempted to lob the keeper, but Gabriel Magalhaes recovered just in time to make a heroic block.

Alvarez stood up to take a free kick that went inches close the post, touching the side of the net.

Giuliano Simeone leaves the field replaced by Robin Le Normand.

Referee Danny Makkelie blows the whistle, and the second half is underway!

Arsenal are leading 1-0 against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano.

Two minutes of stoppage time have been added.

Viktor Gyokeres stepped up and made no mistake, rifling a powerful, clinical strike into the side netting to put the Gunners ahead.

Viktor Gyokeres goes down inside the box after being shoved in the back by David Hancko, and Danny Makkelie immediately points to the spot.

Operating in a disciplined 5-4-1 defensive shape, Atletico is successfully keeping Arsenal's attackers at arm's length. Jan Oblak has been well-protected so far, yet to be forced into a formal save as the first half winds down.

After Ademola Lookman recovered the ball deep in Arsenal territory, a miscommunication between Giuliano Simeone and Julian Alvarez caused the counterattack to fizzle out, sparing the Gunners' defense.

Madueke again flashed his danger from the right, cutting inside to unleash a curling effort that whistled just wide of Jan Oblak's far post.

With Arsenal sitting in a disciplined low block, Matteo Ruggeri found the space to whip in a dangerous cross for Julian Alvarez, whose header narrowly cleared the crossbar.

After an opening flurry of chances from both sides, the match has entered a cagey phase. Arsenal and Atletico are struggling to find pockets of space, causing the tempo to drop as both defenses tighten their grip.

Viktor Gyokeres is currently receiving medical attention for a slight nosebleed after catching a stray hand from teammate Noni Madueke. The Arsenal medical staff is on the pitch assessing the striker to ensure he’s fit to continue.

Following the corner, Arsenal launched a lightning-quick counterattack with Viktor Gyokeres finding Martin Odegaard, whose goal-bound effort was denied by a last-second block from Johnny Cardoso.

After a well-constructed buildup from right to left, Julian Alvarez controlled the ball and unleashed a stinging right-footed strike, forcing David Raya into a spectacular save.

While possession has largely leveled out, both sides are struggling to find a way through their opponent's disciplined defensive lines.

After a brilliant piece of individual movement on the right flank, Noni Madueke delivered a pinpoint cross to the far post; however, Piero Hincapie’s first-time strike sailed wide of the target.

With Arsenal adopting a deep defensive stance, Atletico is settling into possession, though they have yet to create a clear-cut scoring opportunity.

Referee Danny Makkelie blows his whistle, and the game between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal is underway.

Atletico Madrid and Arsenal hold a perfectly balanced head-to-head record over the years, with one victory apiece and one draw in their three previous European meetings.

The sides first met in the 2017-18 Europa League semifinals, where Atletico proved to be the ultimate spoilers. After a -1 draw at the Emirates Stadium, the Spanish side secured a narrow 1-0 win at home to advance to the final and eventually lift the trophy.

The Gunners' first victory in the series came during the current Champions League campaign this past October. In a dominant league phase performance at the Emirates, Mikel Arteta’s squad cruised to a 4-0 win, pulling even in the all-time series against the Spanish giants.

Dutch official Danny Makkelie has been appointed to oversee Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal at the Air Riyadh Metropolitano. The 43-year-old has officiated seven previous matches for Atletico, with the Spanish side recording three wins, three draws, and one defeat under his watch.

Makkelie's history with the Gunners is equally established, having refereed four of their matches to date. Arsenal has fared well in those fixtures, securing three victories while suffering just one defeat.

Match officials:

Referee: Danny Makkelie
1st Assistant: Hessel Steegstra
2nd Assistant: Jan de Vries
Fourth Official: Serdar Gözübüyük
VAR: Dennis Higler
VAR assistant: Pol van Boekel

With players returning from injury, coach Diego Simeone unveiled the starting lineup to face Arsenal (4-4-2): Jan Oblak; Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, David Hancko, Matteo Ruggeri; Giuliano Simeone, Koke, Johnny Cardoso, Ademola Lookman; Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez.

Coach Mikel Arteta confirmed the eleven players that'll be starting in the game at the Air Riyadh Metropolitano (4-3-3): David Raya; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Piero Hincapie; Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Martin Odegaard; Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli.

The game between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal will kick off at 3 PM (ET).

You can watch the UEFA Champions League live on Fubo, DirecTV Stream, Paramount+, DAZN, Hulu + Live TV, CBS, TUDN and ViX.

Welcome to our live blog for the first leg of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League semifinals between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal. Stay with us for key updates and live minute-by-minute coverage!

Julian Alvarez has become one of the most discussed players over the last few months, with persistent questions rising over his long-term future in Madrid. Reports have recently surfaced claiming the Argentine forward has informed Atletico leadership of his desire to join Barcelona this summer.

At a pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal against Arsenal, manager Diego Simeone was asked directly about the possibility of the striker leaving the club. “I am not inside Julian Alvarez’s head. I understand it is normal for an extraordinary player like Julian to be wanted by Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, or Barcelona. It’s normal, because he is very good,” the Argentine coach said.