Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal: Simeone Leads 56-Year-Old Atlético Into Semi-Final

Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal opened the Champions League semi-final first leg at the Metropolitano with an 8pm BST kickoff. Diego Simeone took Atlético into their fourth European Cup semi-final, while Arsenal arrived after a 4-0 win over the same opponent in late October.

Simeone at the Metropolitano

Simeone turned 56 on Tuesday and has spent almost 20 years at Atlético Madrid. He returned to Madrid as coach in December 2011, and this tie marked the club’s seventh European Cup semi-final, with their last one coming nine years earlier.

After the quarter-final, he said: "Buah! You can’t imagine how good it is to be in the four best teams in Europe"

Before this semi-final, he added: "I have no birthday wish," and "just pure gratitude to be able to be with my three sons on my birthday, with my two daughters, my mum, my wife, my lifelong friends."

Arsenal’s October warning

Arsenal’s 4-0 win in the third round of league phase matches still hung over the matchup. Gabriel Magalhães scored in the 57th minute, and Arsenal added three more goals by the 70th minute.

Mikel Arteta made two changes in attack from the Premier League victory over Newcastle on Saturday, keeping Arsenal’s shape fresh for a side that had conceded only 5 goals in 12 Champions League games this season. Atlético’s run was less tight at the other end, with 14 Champions League games producing 60 goals.

Yellow cards were wiped before the semi-finals, so neither side carried that warning into the first leg. That left the Metropolitano as the only setting that mattered: Atlético trying to answer the October scoreline, and Arsenal trying to turn a one-off win into control of the tie.