It’s do or die for both Arsenal and Atletico Madrid as they gear up for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal on Tuesday night.
There was nothing to separate these sides in the first leg a week ago, with two penalties forcing a 1-1 first leg result at the Wanda Metropolitano.
The result is seemingly better for Arsenal as they prepare to host the second leg in a bid to win a first ever Champions League title for the club. They warmed up for the semi with a crucial 3-0 win against Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday.
Atletico on the other hand were also 2-0 winners at the weekend away at Valencia, making it three straight games without defeat. The Spanish outfit are seeking a first final appearance since the 2015/16 season.
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Diego Simeone’s side are confident they can push for an away win here, with their last European semifinal resulting in victory against Arsenal in the 2017/18 Europa League campaign.
Can Mikel Arteta guide his side to a place in the Champions League final or will Atleti stop the Gunners to advance? We have a look at both teams and offer our predicted outcome.
What time does Arsenal vs Atletico start?
The game kicks off at 10PM E.A.T at the Emirates Stadium
Arsenal vs Atletico team news
The hosts are expected to hand Bukayo Saka a start after the English forward provided an assist and scored another at the weekend. This means Noni Madueke will be relegated to a place on the bench.
Forward Viktor Gyokeres is in fine goalscoring form for Arsenal and will lead the attacking line as well as Leandro Trossard on the left flank.
The rest of the team will remain unchanged from the first leg with Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi controlling proceedings from the middle of the pack.
Martin Odeegard and Kai Havertz are still being assessed ahead of the game after suffering minor injuries.
The visitors are expected to maintain the same starting XI that started in the first leg. Hopefully, Alexander Sorloth will get some minutes after being an unused substitute last week.
Arsenal vs Atletico head-to-head and current form
With only one defeat in their last five games, Arsenal come into the game on the back of a better run of form than their opponents. They are also unbeaten in their last three matches.
Atletico have the same unbeaten run but have lost twice in their last five outings, and have only won two of their last five matches on the road.
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A 4-0 win in the group phase is Arsenal’s only victory against Atletico in the last five head-to-head matches, with the Spanish side winning twice.
Current form:
Arsenal – WDWLD
Atletico – WDWLL
Arsenal vs Atletico previous games
Arsenal vs Atletico prediction
Just as in the first leg, we can expect both teams to get a goal in this match. However, it may still need more than the allocated 90 minutes to decide this mouthwatering encounter.
Arsenal have a slim advantage and are expected to see more of the ball, though counters from the Spanish outfit have proved dangerous in recent matches.
Prediction – Both teams to score – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!