Arsenal learn potential Champions League semi-final opponents

Arsenal learn potential Champions League semi-final opponents

Arsenal and Sporting CP have learned their potential Champions League semi-final opponents, with Atletico Madrid seeing off Barcelona to reach the last four.

Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images

Atletico Madrid took a 2-0 lead over Barcelona into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday night, hoping the home support at the Wanda Metropolitano could see them over the line.

Yet just 24 minutes into the match, it was 2-2 on aggregate, with Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres scoring to level the tie.

But seven minutes later, Ademola Lookman had Atletico back in the lead, scoring on the counter-attack to put his team 2-1 down on the night but 3-2 up on aggregate.

Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images

There was still some drama left to come, with Torres scoring a goal disallowed for offside, and Eric Garcia picking up a red card for a last-man foul.

But there were no further goals, meaning Atletico have reached the last four, to face either Arsenal or Sporting CP.

The Gunners have already faced Atletico once this season, winning 4-0, but that was in a League Phase game with very different stakes.

Once Arsenal had the lead in that match, the game opened up, with Atletico having little to lose at that stage. It’s unlikely Diego Simeone’s side would take the same approach in a knockout tie.

Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images

If Arsenal can reach the semi-final, we already know the dates of the two games, with UEFA having confirmed them in advance.

Arsenal would play away in Madrid on Wednesday, April 29th at 20:00 BST, before playing the second leg at home on Tuesday, May 5th at 20:00 BST.

The Gunners earned the right to play all their second-leg matches at home as a result of their first-place finish in the League Phase, and they’ll hope the Emirates Stadium support can get them over the line against both Sporting and Atletico.