On Tuesday (21:00, Prime Video), Arsenal FC host Atlético Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final. For the Gunners, the stakes are clear: a place in the final – a dream 20 years in the making, with their last appearance coinciding with Germany’s 2006 “summer fairy tale.”
Manager Mikel Arteta is leaning on home advantage: “We’re in an incredible position—Champions League semi-final, playing in front of our fans. It’s in our hands.” After a 1-1 first-leg draw, Arsenal’s defensive record speaks for itself: unbeaten in 13 games this campaign (10 wins, 3 draws), with eight clean sheets in eight Champions League matches and just six goals conceded in total.
For Antoine Griezmann and Atlético, the semi-final carries heavy emotional weight. The 35-year-old Frenchman is chasing a final spot to “heal a very deep wound”—a reference to the 2016 penalty shootout loss to Real Madrid, where he missed his own spot-kick. Exorcising that ghost is both a sporting and personal mission, and time is running out: this could be his last shot at glory before joining MLS side Orlando City this summer.
Arsenal’s preparations, however, are complicated by Kai Havertz’s injury – the German has been sidelined, and his availability remains uncertain.
The following day (21:00, DAZN), FC Bayern face a monumental task in their semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, needing to overturn a 4-5 first-leg deficit. The goal is simple: win or go home, with the treble and a Budapest final (May 30) on the line. Standing in their way? Reigning champions PSG, led by world-class talent Ousmane Dembélé.
Yet the mood in Munich is electric. Memories of their dramatic 4-3 quarter-final win over Real Madrid fuel hopes of another magical night at the Allianz Arena. “Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. On Wednesday, the stadium will be on fire,” gushes Leon Goretzka.
Recent blips – a 3-3 draw with Heidenheim and 16 goals conceded in six games – seem irrelevant now. As sporting director Max Eberl puts it: “This team has always known what’s needed in the big moments. Against Paris, no one needs to be told what’s at stake.”
Interwetten expert Lothar Matthäus predicts a 2-1 win for Arsenal on Tuesday, while the German record international backs Bayern to win 4-1.
