JAKARTA - Atletico Madrid and Arsenal both scored from the penalty spot when playing a 1-1 draw in the first semi-final of the Champions League at the Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Thursday, April 30, 2026 early morning WIB.
Don't expect the match to be colored by a goal fest at Atletico's home like when Paris Saint-Germain beat Bayern Munich in the other semifinal. A nine-goal feast occurred after PSG, the defending champion, beat Bayern 5-4.
In the match between Atletico and Arsenal, it was equally difficult to break the opponent's goal even though they had a row of reliable front players. If Arsenal relies on Viktor Gyokeres, supported by Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke, on the other hand, Atletico has Julian Alvarez. Manbtan this Manchester City striker is a duet with veteran striker Antoine Griezmann.
However, both teams eventually needed a dead ball to score. Arsenal took the lead through Gyokeres' penalty execution towards the end of the first half.
Atletico then equalized the score also from the penalty spot. Arsenal had asked for another penalty when defender David Hancko made physical contact with Eberechi Eze. However, the Gunners' request was rejected after the referee reviewed it via VAR.
The draw means the two teams have equal chances to qualify for the final against PSG or Bayern. Arsenal and Atletico must win the second match, which will be held at the Emirates Stadium, London, Wednesday, May 6, 2026 early morning WIB.
The duel between the two teams who have never lifted the Champions League trophy has actually still been offensive. Only, Atletico does have a reputation for a very solid defense that makes it difficult for Mikel Arteta's team to put pressure on.
Even the hosts got the first chance through Alvarez. But the Argentine national team striker's shot could be stopped by goalkeeper David Raya.
Arsenal, who once entered the final of the Champions League in 2006 before being defeated by Barcelona, slowly began to come out of the pressure. Not only that, midfielder Martin Odegaard had threatened Atletico's goal. But his kick could be blocked by defender Marc Pubill.
After many failed attempts, Arsenal finally managed to take the lead through a penalty from Gyokeres. It started with an attack built by the Swedish striker with Martin Zubimendi. They passed each other and when Gyokeres entered the penalty box, Hancko made a tackle from behind.
The referee did not hesitate to point to the white line. Griezmann and coach Diego Simeone had asked the referee to review it through VAR. However, the request was rejected because the offense, in the referee's eyes, was visible.
Gyokeres who took the execution carried out his duties well even though goalkeeper Jan Oblak could read the direction of the ball. Only Oblak still failed to reach the ball which still slid into the goal. The goal in the 44th minute gave Arsenal a 1-0 lead. The score remained until the first half ended.
Entering the second half, Atletico, who have reached the Champions League final three times, tried to increase the pressure. The intensity of the Los Rojiblancos attack forced Arsenal to strengthen their defense.
Ademola Lookman got a good chance but Raya's goalkeeper could stop him. Then it was Griezmann's turn to try to break into the North London club's goal. This time it was defender Gabriel Magalhaes who blocked it.
When he returned to the attack, Atletico defender Marcos Llorente got a chance by shooting at the goal when he received a corner kick from Griezmann. It was a pity for defender Ben White who tried to stop him.
Llorente's shot hit White's hand. The referee, who did not witness the incident, then watched it through VAR. As a result, White was declared a handball and the referee pointed to the white spot.
Alvarez did not make a mistake when executing a penalty in the 56th minute. The score changed to 1-1 for both teams. After the goal, Atletico returned to pressure. It is recorded that Lookman got two chances that could have increased Atletico's advantage.
Furthermore, Arsenal hopes to score the second goal when Hancko is judged to have committed a foul against Eze in the penalty box.
When reviewed by VAR, only minimal physical contact between the two players occurred so the referee did not have to give a penalty. There was no additional goal and the 1-1 draw lasted until the end of the match.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
