Atletico Madrid and Arsenal clash Wednesday, April 29, at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano for the first leg of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League semifinals. Follow along for live coverage and analysis as these two giants battle for a spot in the final!
The Colchoneros reach this stage after a gritty quarterfinal victory over Barcelona and a confidence-boosting 3-2 win against Athletic Bilbao this past weekend. However, Diego Simeone’s side has struggled for consistency lately, suffering through a stretch where they dropped seven of nine matches and lost the Copa del Rey final to Real Sociedad.
Arsenal arrive in Madrid after scraping past Sporting CP in a defensive quarterfinal battle that saw them advance 1-0 on aggregate. While Mikel Arteta’s squad recently regained their footing with a 1-0 win over Newcastle, the Gunners have faced their own hurdles, including a League Cup final loss to Manchester City and an early FA Cup exit.
On the injury front, Atletico recently lost Nicolas González, who joins Pablo Barrios and Jose Maria Gimenez on a crowded trainer’s table. Ademola Lookman has been cleared for a return, though he is only expected to feature as a sub. Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta confirmed that stars Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze are fit to play, while Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber remain sidelined.
Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal celebrates with his teammates after scoring against Atletico Madrid.
These two sides met earlier this season during the league phase of the Champions League, a contest where Arsenal cruised to a commanding 4-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium. However, both squads have evolved significantly since that October rout, and this semifinal opener is expected to be a much more tactical and balanced affair.
