Today, May 5, the first finalist of the Champions League will be determined. London's Arsenal will compete for a spot in the final in the second leg of the semi-finals, hosting Madrid's Atlético. Nothing has been decided in this matchup yet, as the first leg ended in a 1:1 draw; however, bookmakers favor the Londoners given the losses suffered by the "Colchoneros," UNN reports.
Details
The match at the Emirates, where London's Arsenal will host Madrid's Atlético, will kick off at 22:00 Kyiv time.
The first leg between the teams ended in a 1:1 draw. Both goals were scored from penalties. In the first half, "Gunners" forward Viktor Gyökeres successfully converted an 11-meter kick, and in the second half, Julián Álvarez also equalized from the "spot."
Over the weekend, the teams played their domestic league matches. Specifically, Arsenal faced London's Fulham in the EPL, who were crushed 3:0. Goals were scored by Gyökeres (brace) and Bukayo Saka.
Atlético, meanwhile, confidently handled Valencia over the weekend with a 2:0 win. Goals were scored by Iker Luque and Takefusa Kubo.
In this match, the "Gunners" will be without midfielders Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino, as well as defender Jurriën Timber. The participation of Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard, who suffered a knee injury, is also in doubt.
The "Colchoneros" face much more serious losses ahead of the match. Eight key players are out due to injuries. Specifically, midfielders Pablo Barrios and Marcos Llorente, forwards Giuliano Simeone, Alexander Sørloth, and Nicolás González, as well as defenders José María Giménez and Dávid Hancko.
Furthermore, the participation of their main striking force, Julián Álvarez, is in doubt; he suffered an ankle injury in the match against Arsenal, resulting in his substitution in the 77th minute and missing the match against Valencia. Insiders note that after an MRI scan, Álvarez's injury turned out to be minor, and the forward will be able to participate in the match.
What you need to know
Atlético is having its highest-scoring season in the Champions League – they have 35 goals to their credit, 10 of which were scored by Álvarez.
Arsenal remains the only team undefeated in this campaign (10 wins, 3 draws) and boasts the best defense: eight clean sheets and only six goals conceded.
Neither Arsenal nor Atlético has ever won the Champions League. Arsenal could reach its first final since 2006, when they lost to Barcelona at the Stade de France (2:1), while Atlético could get another chance to win the trophy after unsuccessful attempts in 2014 (4:1 loss to Real Madrid) and 2016 (loss to Real Madrid in a penalty shootout).
Favorite, where to watch
The live broadcast for Ukrainian fans will be available on the "Football 1" channel of the Megogo media service.
Given the "Gunners" home advantage and the "Colchoneros" losses before the match, bookmakers favor Arsenal in this game, giving them odds of 1.6 for a win. Atlético's victory is at 5.5, and a draw is at 4.