FC Arsenal travel to Madrid without Kai Havertz and return with a valuable draw. After the 1-1 (1-0) in the Champions League semifinal first leg at Atlético Madrid, the Gunners have good chances to reach the final in Budapest (May 30).
The Premier League leaders had to do without the German international in Spain, who was substituted off in the 1-0 win against Newcastle United with a groin injury, and demonstrated character and class in the vibrant atmosphere of the Metropolitano. The first half clearly belonged to the visitors: Piero Hincapié missed the target (6.), Noni Madueke tried from distance (30.), before Viktor Gyökeres scored 1-0 following a handball (44.).
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta had instructed his team to “show how good we are and how much we want it” – and the Gunners delivered. However, Atlético, who last reached the final in 2016, were not discouraged and came out storming after the break: Julián Álvarez equalized from the penalty spot (56.), Antoine Griezmann hit the crossbar (63.), Ademola Lookman missed the chance to take the lead (74.).
A further penalty for Arsenal in the 81st minute was rightly overturned by referee Danny Makkelie. Arsenal had dominated Atlético 4-0 in the league phase – the return match promises to be a completely different story.
