Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal – Match preview and team news
Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal – Match preview and team news Atletico Madrid host Arsenal in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Diego Simeone’s team lost 0-4 to Arsenal earlier this season in the Champions League group stage and will aim to put in a better performance this time in front of their home crowd. Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal – Match preview and team news Date: Wednesday, 29th April.
Kick-off: 8pm BST. Venue: Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Madrid. Atletico Madrid team news Atletico Madrid enters the first leg dealing with critical gaps in central areas.
Diego Simeone will be without Pablo Barrios, whose hamstring injury likely rules him out for both legs of the semi-final. The defence is also weakened by the continued absence of José María Giménez. However, the frontline receives a boost with Julian Alvarez expected to return to the starting XI after being rested over the weekend.
Questions remain over the availability of Ademola Lookman and David Hancko, both of whom are undergoing late evaluations. Simeone will have Jan Oblak in goal and Antoine Griezmann in attack. Koke is certain to be included in the starting XI along with Johnny Cardoso while Clement Lenglet will start at centre back along with either Marc Pubill or Robin Le Normand.
Arsenal team news For Arsenal, Mikel Arteta faces a significant selection headache following the confirmed absence of Kai Havertz, who stayed in London to treat a muscular injury sustained during the game against Newcastle. In better news, Eberechi Eze has been cleared to play despite a recent scare, and Bukayo Saka is finally in contention for a starting spot after recovering from an Achilles issue. The Gunners remain without long-term absentees Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino, while Martin Zubimendi and Riccardo Calafiori face late fitness tests.