The stage is set for a thrilling Champions League semi-final second leg as Arsenal welcome Atletico Madrid to the Emirates Stadium, with kick-off at 21:00 CEST. After a tense 1-1 draw in the first leg, both sides know that a place in the final against either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest is on the line. The Gunners enter as narrow favorites, but Diego Simeone's men have been quietly confident about their chances of pulling off an upset.
Mikel Arteta has some positive injury news to work with, as Bukayo Saka made his first start in over a month during the weekend's action, adding much-needed firepower to the attack. Both Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz have been declared fit, giving the Arsenal boss plenty of options. However, Mikel Merino and Jurrien Timber will miss out through injury, leaving some gaps to fill in the squad.
On the Atletico side, Simeone is without Nicolas Gonzalez and Pablo Barrios due to injuries, but the rest of the squad is expected to be available. There are some fitness concerns over Julian Alvarez, Giuliano Simeone, and Alexander Sorloth, which could influence the starting eleven. According to reports from Diario AS and Marca, the Argentine coach is likely to stick with a familiar lineup, though one key change could see Robin Le Normand replace Giuliano Simeone—a tactical switch his father made at half-time in the first leg. If this happens, Marc Pubill would shift to right-back, allowing Marcos Llorente to push into midfield, creating a formation that easily transitions into a five-man defense.
Arteta, meanwhile, is expected to shake things up with at least three changes from the first leg, particularly on the right flank. Saka is likely to start ahead of Cristhian Mosquera, with Eberechi Eze playing just behind Viktor Gyokeres in a more advanced role. There's also some uncertainty on the left wing, where Gabriel Martinelli could be replaced by Leandro Trossard if the manager opts for a different attacking dynamic.
Interestingly, both Havertz and Odegaard may find themselves on the bench despite being declared fit. Havertz missed the first leg due to injury, while Odegaard was absent for the weekend's 3-0 win over Fulham. Atletico, on the other hand, come into this match after a 2-0 victory away at Valencia on Saturday, though Simeone rotated heavily, with only Le Normand starting among the likely first-choice players. With so much at stake, expect a tactical battle that could go down to the wire.