History will weigh heavily on Atletico Madrid and Arsenal when the two sides clash in the Uefa Champions League semi-final first leg in Madrid on Wednesday.
The two teams have played the most European Cup/Champions League games (223 for Arsenal, 190 for Atletico) without ever winning the trophy. Both have been beaten finalists this century.
Yet it’s only the second time the teams have been paired in European knockout competition, the first being in a 2018 Europa League semi-final, which Atletico won 2-1 on aggregate, ending the chance of a trophy in Arsene Wenger’s final season.
That was eight years ago, yet four of the Atletico players are still in their first team, plus manager Diego Simeone. There’s not one Arsenal player from that night who is still at the club. Antoine Griezmann is still at Atletico, as is captain Koke, goalkeeper Jan Oblak and defender Jose Maria Gimenez.
All are in their 30s, all possess the experience which was necessary to make Atletico the only remaining Spanish club in European football’s top competition. Like boss Simeone, they are wily operators unfazed by any foe.
But their form is a bit shaky. Atletico could finish only 14th out of 36 teams in the Champions League group phase this season. They sit an underwhelming fourth in La Liga and 25 points behind leaders Barcelona, a team they were good enough to knock out of both the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.
Atletico also lost the recent Copa del Rey final on penalties to Real Sociedad, a defeat which reduced their long-standing midfielder Koke to tears. Their La Liga campaign was over before it started, with only one win in the first five games, allowing Spain's big two to get an early lead they never relinquished.
In Europe, they lost two of their first three games. Both defeats came against English sides - Liverpool and then Arsenal in the new group-stage format.
The 4-0 defeat at Arsenal, with all the goals coming in the second half, is the reason why Mikel Arteta’s men are seen as favourites in the semi-final. But it’s never quite so clear under Simeone, especially when his team are at home as they are in Wednesday’s first leg.
Atletico Madrid have never lost at home to an English side in six Champions League knockout games and that trend continued this season when they blitzed Arsenal’s North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Atletico led 4-0 inside 22 minutes against Spurs in February’s first leg of the Round of 16 matches, enough to fire them through 7-5 on aggregate despite a 3-2 loss in North London. It was a trend: Atleti also surged into a 4-0 half-time lead against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-final. Again, that was enough of a cushion to see them through to the final, despite a second-leg defeat.
They will be hoping for similar against Arsenal, knowing their strength is at home amid the febrile 66,000 crowd of the Metropolitano. It will be far louder than Arsenal’s Emirates, which has a similar capacity.
Firepower
In Argentina striker Julian Alvarez, they boast one of the best forwards in the world, one coveted by Barcelona and Arsenal. The former Manchester City man has scored 48 goals in 104 appearances for his club, with nine goals in 13 Champions League games far more impressive than eight in 29 La Liga games this term.
Indeed, Atletico’s current La Liga form is poor, with four defeats in five games, partly because Simeone has targeted cup success. Their away form has been poor all season, yet they defeated Barcelona 2-0 away in the Champions League quarter-final first leg, though Catalans were furious at the first half sending off for defender Pau Cubarsi.
Arsenal are Premier League leaders; they won 4-0 when they last met Atleti on the way to finishing first in the group stage with 24 points. Arsenal have the advantage of a second leg at home, where two goals from Victor Gyokeres helped them to that win the last time the teams met.
But Arsenal have wobbled in the Premier League. And Atletico are a team you don’t want to meet when they scent the possibility of a weakness.
