Atletico Madrid and Arsenal are all square after the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final clash, drawing 1-1 at the Metropolitano.
The hosts started the game with a more passive approach despite being the home side, dropping into a back five off the ball and looking to limit Arteta’s men space to operate.
Giuliano Simeone dropped into the last line to form a temporary back five off the ball, allowing Marcos Llorente to shift inside, becoming the right-sided centre-back and allowing Atletico Madrid to match up five against five with their back line against Arsenal’s front five on the ball.
Both of Arsenal’s full-backs would move high into the halfspaces, which also dragged Ademola Lookman deeper and narrow to track Ben White, isolating Noni Madueke out wide against Matteo Ruggeri. Arsenal were able to easily build out against this passive 5-3-2 press of Atletico Madrid, allowing them to gain control of the game.
Arsenal completely dominated the opening 45 minutes as Atletico seemed content to sit back and defend, but the visitors made the breakthrough on the stroke of half-time when Viktor Gyokeres was shoved to the floor inside the penalty area, and referee Danny Makkelie pointed to the spot.
After a VAR review backed up the official's decision, Gyokeres stepped up and slammed his spot-kick through Jan Oblak's hands to put The Gunners 1-0 up, and seemingly well on top as the teams headed into the dressing rooms at half-time.
The second half couldn't have been more different than the first, as Atletico came out after the break and took the game to Mikel Arteta's men. Instead of getting a boost from Gyökeres's opener to come out firing in the second half, Arsenal did the exact opposite, lacking quality and intensity, letting Atlético Madrid decidedly dominate the final 45 minutes.
The first 20 minutes of the second half were a complete onslaught from the hosts, who overwhelmed Arsenal in every aspect of the game and deservedly equalized the contest.
Atlético Madrid went into the break with just five total attempts. By the time the 65th minute hit, they had total 17 shots and three big chances created.
A Marcos Llorente shot, which was going well wide, hit the stray hand of Ben White, drawing huge appeals for a penalty for the hosts. Referee Makkelie initially waved them away, but VAR intervened and the spot-kick was eventually awarded.
Julian Alvarez emphatically dispatched the penalty, and the game completely transformed, as the stadium exploded into life, and Atletico had Arsenal on the rack. But The Gunners weathered the storm and started to get back on top, with substitute Eberechi Eze to the fore. The Arsenal No. 10 burst into the box and appeared to be fouled by David Hancko.
Makkelie pointed to the spot once again, sparking wild scenes of protest as the Atletico players surrounded the official, while boss Diego Simeone protested vociferously on the touchline. VAR intervened once again and, after a lengthy period of review, called the referee to the monitor.
After watching the incident back several times, the official then opted to reverse his on-pitch decision, sparking huge Atletico celebrations on the pitch, on the touchline, and in the stands.
It was a match of mere moments for Arsenal, and Gyökeres was ultimately the provider of their most decisive one. The Swede entertained Atléti’s center backs throughout despite being starved of meaningful service, and it was the striker who earned and then dispatched the spot kick which opened the scoring. With Kai Havertz sidelined, it was a timely display from the often maligned summer recruit.
Arsenal required a strong defensive display to keep an increasingly threatening Atléti team at bay, and Arteta was not disappointed by the majority of his backline in Madrid. David Raya produced some vital saves, William Saliba offered up a confident performance and Gabriel also managed several crucial interventions. No matter their bluntness in attack, Arsenal can always rely on their defense to come up big.
A tale of three penalties. All three were given, one was overturned. And that VAR-led decision will dominate the post-match discussion. Arsenal were the better side in the first half, the hosts responded on the turnaround with much more verve and impetus. They got a deserved equaliser, with a draw probably about right after a cagey battle. It sets us up for a fascinating battle at the Emirates next week.
