A goal by Bukayo Saka on the verge of half-time was enough for Arsenal to beat Atlético de Madrid 1-0 on Tuesday and reach the Champions League final for the second time in its history, twenty years after the first, in which the London team will try to win its first European Cup.
The Gunners return to the last Champions League match after the 2006 loss to Barcelona at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. Atletico Madrid are on the verge of another final.
Arsenal punishes Atletico and leaves them without Champions League again
This time, it was Arsenal who dressed up as ogres to ruin another European season for the Spanish team.
The God of soccer continues to deny his ‘Orejona’ to Argentine coach Diego Simeone, despite the fact that few coaches have tried so hard.
It was legitimate to wonder if the two best teams that have never won the Champions League were on the pitch at the Emirates on Tuesday.
Arsenal were denied by a mistake by Jens Lehmann in Paris, while Atletico were denied by Sergio Ramos and penalties in Milan.
It was going to be a game of not making mistakes, of fear of losing and a lot of vertigo to win.
And the players knew it.
The tension was palpable between the cries of “Arsenal!”, the insults to ‘Cholo’ from the English fans and the tireless chants of the red and white fans.
It was a historic opportunity for both teams and one detail decided the game.
Atletico failed to convert the two chances in the first half:
One at the feet of Julián Álvarez and another from Giuliano Simeone, and they paid dearly for it (Filed as: Arsenal advances to the Champions League final).
Saka takes advantage of the error
None of them were very clear or unforgivable, but in this scenario you have to mark everything that comes close to the area.
Arsenal understood.
It didn’t need to run over or shoot on goal until the 44th minute to feel superior.
This team does not play to dominate, it plays to win.
Late in the first half, a marking error allowed Leandro Trossard to shoot into space at the far post.
Oblak worked a miracle, his downward hand cleared the ball, but Saka, in regulation position, beat the center-backs and pushed in the 1-0.
The Emirates exploded. He couldn’t believe it, his coin had come up heads.
The break cooled the mood. Atlético changed the plan, it was necessary to attack.
They began to have more of the ball, to stretch the field and to find a loophole, until the elimination fizzled out in another detail.
This time it was unforgivable (Filed under: Arsenal advances to the Champions League final).
Atlético misses the clearest chance
A failure by William Saliba to jump left Giuliano in front of Raya.
He lifted the ball, dribbled past the Spanish goalkeeper and just as he was about to push it in, Gabriel appeared to trouble him enough to prevent him from scoring.
This occasion cannot be missed in a Champions League semi-final. It was damning.
With it, the spirit of a team that made it to the final stretch alive was due to the lack of Viktor Gyökeres’s aim.
When the rain stopped falling in London, it brought tears to the eyes of the Atlético fans.
Soccer, that damned sport, denied them another joy.
The umpteenth. Always suffering, always dying on the shore, always getting up.
Maybe next year they will, like Arsenal, who in 25 days’ time will be able to add the missing major title to their trophy cabinet.
Mikel Arteta is facing the big game of his life and perhaps the most important in Arsenal’s history (Filed as: Arsenal advances to Champions League final).
It was going to be a match where no mistakes could be made
QuéOnnda.com
Technical data
1 – Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori (Hincapié, m.58); Lewis-Skelly (Zubimendi, m.74), Rice, Eze (Odegaard, m.58); Saka (Madueke, m.58), Trossard (Martinelli, m.83) and Gyökeres.
0 – Atlético de Madrid: Oblak; Pubill, Le Normand (Sorloth, m.57), Hancko, Ruggeri; Llorente, Giuliano (Cardoso, m.57), Koke, Lookman (Molina, m.57); Griezmann (Baena, m.66) and Julián Alvarez (Almada, m.67).
Goals: 1-0. Saka, 44th minute.
Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany) cautioned Arteta (m.93, offside) and Calafiori (m.95, offside) for Arsenal and Pubill (m.81), Simeone (m.93, offside) and Koke (m.95) for Atletico Madrid.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the second leg of the Champions League semifinals played at the Emirates Stadium (London).
With information from EFE
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