By Atletico Madrid and Arsenal renewed their rivalry in a tightly contested UEFA Champions League Semi-final first leg. In the previous encounter during the competition’s league phase, Arsenal thrashed Madrid at the Emirates Stadium in a 4-0 thriller match. Gabriel Magalhães was the first to open the scoring line for Arsenal in the second half, followed by Gabriel Martinelli before Victor Gyökeres netted a quick brace to seal the win.
However in the second encounter at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium on Wednesday, April 29, Atletico Madrid displayed much greater resilience, ending it a 1-1 draw at fulltime. The Gunners initially took the lead late into the first half as Gyokeres was bundled down inside the penalty area. The striker stepped up himself, firing a powerful shot past Jan Oblak from the penalty spot to put the visitors ahead.
Atletico found their rhythm in the second half and secured an equalizer in the 56th minute. Following a handball by Arsenal defender Ben White, Julian Alvarez, who had been a standout performer throughout the match, composed himself and converted the resulting penalty.
The game continued with intense pressure and calculated attacks from both sides in the closing stages, neither team could find a winning goal. Arsenal now shifts their focus to a crucial Premier League fixture against Fulham this Saturday before hosting Atletico for the decisive second leg at the Emirates.
Interestingly, Arteta’s side remains unbeaten since the opening campaign of the 2025/2026 Champions League. Their impressive record stands at ten wins and three draws from thirteen matches, with 28 goals scored and only six conceded. Arguably, Arsenal have one of the best defences in the competition and they would look to build on that in the second leg of the encounter against Madrid.
In the other semi-final fixture, Paris Saint-Germain edged Bayern Munich in a breathtaking nine-goal thriller. Harry Kane opened the scoreline for Bayern from the spot before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia produced an equalizer and João Neves headed home the lead.
Michael Olise’s left footed shot from the centre of the box gave Bayern, only for Ousmane Dembele to restore the lead for PSG through a penalty before halftime. However, PSG extended their advantage with two goals early in the second half, creating a comfortable three-goal cushion.
Late strikes from Dayot Upamecano and Luis Díaz brought Bayern back within one, but PSG held on for a 5-4 victory. The football world now looks toward May 5 and 6, when the second-leg results will determine which two teams advance to the final at the Ferenc Puskás Stadium in Budapest, Hungary.
Image: AFP
