The first leg of this UEFA Champions League semi-final ended in a stalemate. Check out the best facts and stats from the game with our Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal stats page.
As the second of the two Champions League semi-finals, played 24 hours after one of the most entertaining matches ever seen in the competition, this match always had a lot to live up to.
It wasn’t entirely fair that it should come after PSG and Bayern Munich traded nine goals in the highest-scoring Champions League semi-final ever, but even so, the contrast was stark. The simple truth is these two sides possess nothing like the firepower of either of the teams from the other semi.
However, without the context of the game that came a day earlier, this was a typically tense semi-final affair.
There was attacking intent from both teams, but neither side created chances freely throughout the first half. Atlético Madrid, one of the highest scoring sides in the Champions League this season and a genuine threat against almost everyone they have faced this season, struggled to overcome the physicality of Arsenal’s monstrous backline with their clever combination play.
Arsenal, on the other hand, haven’t scored many goals at all of late, and again struggled for fluency with many of their best attackers absent from the starting lineup, and those who were present lacking form. It was telling that by the midway point in the second half, manager Mikel Arteta had withdrawn all of his front four players.
13 – Arsenal have equalled their longest ever unbeaten run in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, going 13 consecutive games without defeat for the second time – previously between March 2005 and April 2006 (13). Resilience. pic.twitter.com/EoFvc4iSdl
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 29, 2026Long before that, though, on the stroke of half-time, one of those four had put Arsenal into the lead. In a game lacking in clear-cut chances, it took a penalty for the deadlock to be broken. Dávid Hancko was caught the wrong side of Viktor Gyökeres and was penalised for a clumsy challenge in the box.
Gyökeres stepped up to confidently convert the spot-kick to score his 11th goal in the Champions League (six for Sporting CP, five for Arsenal. The only Swedish players with more in the competition are Zlatan Ibrahimovic (48) and Freddie Ljungberg (13), with Gyökeres’ goal taking him level with Emil Forsberg.
Atlético came out for the second half desperate to find a quick route back into the game. Antoine Griezmann saw a huge chance from close range blocked, before his side were handed a lifeline when Marcos Llorente’s wayward shot at a corner struck the outstretched hand of Ben White. After a VAR review, the hosts were given a penalty, which Julián Alvarez scored to level the tie.
It was Alvarez’s 25th goal in his 41st Champions League appearance, making him the quickest South American to reach 25 goals in the competition, beating Lionel Messi, who scored his 25th goals in his 42nd match.
The game had come to life, Atlético buoyed by their goal and a lively home crowd. Griezmann hit the woodwork with a delicate effort and Ademola Lookman wasted a glorious chance from 10 yards out, rolling his effort weakly into David Raya’s grateful grip in the Arsenal goal.
Atléti had the first 11 shots of the second half, and it took Arsenal until the 80th minute to produce a moment of note. When it came, though, it was a significant and controversial one.
Bukayo Saka fed Eberechi Eze, both having appeared from the bench, in the box, and the Arsenal number 10 went down under the challenge of Hancko. The defender pleaded his innocence, and the VAR recommended an on-field review. Referee Danny Makkelie took his time over the decision and eventually overturned his initial call.
Although they had been denied a second penalty, Arsenal had been woken up. They had six shots from the 84th minute of the match onwards, having failed to have even one in the previous 40 minutes.
For that short period, they looked much improved, with Saka extremely bright on the right and Gabriel Jesus involved in the play far more than Gyökeres. In half the time on the pitch (33 minutes vs 67), Jesus had only two fewer touches (13) than the Swede (15). Defender Cristhian Mosquera had a good chance to win it late on, but struck his effort straight at Jan Oblak.
The game ended 1-1, leaving the tie perfectly in the balance ahead of next week’s return leg back in London. With a home game still to come, Arsenal may well be the happier of the sides with this result, but Atlético will still, as they did here, provide a stern test.
Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal: Selected Post-Match Facts
Atlético Madrid 1-1 Arsenal was the first UEFA Champions League knockout-stage game with more than one goal to see 100% of them come via penalties since the 2001 final (Bayern Munich 1-1 Valencia). Arsenal equalled their longest ever unbeaten run in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, going 13 consecutive games without defeat for the second time – previously between March 2005 and April 2006 (13). Atlético Madrid’s xG in tonight’s game (2.22) was the second-highest by a team against Arsenal across all competitions this season, only behind Aston Villa in December 2025 in the Premier League (2.52). As of tonight’s meeting (included in totals), Arsenal (57) and Atlético Madrid (55) are the two teams from Europe’s big five leagues who have played the most matches across all competitions in 2025-26.Enjoy this? Add Opta Analyst as a preferred source by clicking here.
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Atlético Madrid 1-1 Arsenal Stats: Penalties Traded as Champions League Semi-Final Ends Level Opta Analyst.
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