Atletico Madrid walked away from the Metropolitano with a 1-1 draw against Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, and while there's a hint of regret about not taking a lead to London, the squad is buzzing with belief. After falling behind, Julian Alvarez leveled the score from the penalty spot, but it was Antoine Griezmann who stole the show—and the man of the match award.

"My biggest dream is to reach the final. I've prepared so much for this match and the second leg, and hopefully, we can make it happen," Griezmann told Movistar+, as reported by Marca. "Our second half was much better in terms of intensity and pressing. That's the way to go in the next leg. It's going to be a great match to play—whether at home or away, it'll be tough to watch, but that's the beauty of football. Conceding at the end of the first half hurts, but we made two or three tactical adjustments to press better and shift our position, and that made the difference. Then our fans pushed us on."

The French striker admitted he left a few chances on the table but remains laser-focused. "I had three chances, but I couldn't get them in the net. I'll definitely get them in the second leg. We all did a great job, and we have to focus on the second half," he said, clearly motivated to leave his mark.

Marcos Llorente echoed Griezmann's sentiments, emphasizing that the tie is far from over. "Everything's still up for grabs in the second leg. They took the first half, and we took the second. That's what we have to take away from this. We've made things very difficult for them," Llorente told MD. "If you don't take your chances, you end up paying the price. The second half is the path we need to follow. We have to take more risks—going man-to-man and pressing high up the pitch. We need to be more precise in the final third because that's what makes the difference."

The Spain international believes the side that's most clinical will emerge victorious next week. "It's going to be another war next week," he added, setting the stage for a dramatic second leg at the Emirates.