Match Preview for Arsenal v Atletico Madrid
Arsenal will be aiming to clinch their third win of the Champions League league phase when they welcome Atletico Madrid to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Meanwhile, Diego Simeone’s men will be looking to build on their impressive victory over Eintracht Frankfurt and continue their push toward the top half of the standings.
Arsenal have made a perfect start to their Champions League campaign, recording two wins from two to sit fifth in the league phase standings.
Mikel Arteta’s side opened their account with a comfortable 2-0 home victory over Athletic Bilbao before repeating the same scoreline away to Olympiacos, making them one of only two teams yet to concede in this season’s competition.
They followed up those European results with a narrow 1-0 win against Fulham in the Premier League at the weekend, extending their unbeaten run across all competitions to six matches and continuing their impressive defensive form.
The Gunners have also built a formidable record at the Emirates, winning their last 11 Champions League league phase/group-stage home games without conceding a goal.
Now, they will aim to mark their 100th win in the competition proper by getting the better of Atletico, who are visiting North London for the first time since a 1-1 draw in the 2017-18 Europa League semi-final.
Atletico, meanwhile, arrive in the capital full of confidence after thrashing Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 on matchday two, with goals from Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez and Thiago Almada helping them recover from an opening defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.
That result lifted the Spanish side into the top 10 of the league phase standings and extended their strong recent form under Simeone, who has guided his team to four wins in their last five matches across all competitions.
However, Atletico’s away record will be a concern heading into Tuesday’s contest. They are yet to win on the road this season, drawing three and losing two of their five away fixtures.
Team news for Arsenal v Atletico Madrid
Arsenal came through Saturday’s win over Fulham without any new injury concerns, but Piero Hincapie remains a slight doubt as he continues his recovery from a groin issue.
Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are still sidelined with knee problems, while Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice are one booking away from suspension in Europe.
Ben White and Gabriel Martinelli could both return to the starting lineup, while Myles Lewis-Skelly is pushing for a chance to start at left-back.
As for the visitors, Atletico will be without Nico Gonzalez after the Argentine winger suffered a concussion in Saturday’s win over Osasuna. Johnny Cardoso also misses out with an ankle injury.
Clement Lenglet returns from a domestic suspension and is expected to start in central defence, while Thiago Almada, Javi Galan or Conor Gallagher could all feature on the left-hand side.
Expected line-ups for Arsenal v Atletico Madrid
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Eze, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli
Atletico Madrid: Oblak; Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Ruggeri; Simeone, Barrios, Gallagher, Almada; Griezmann, Alvarez
How to watch Arsenal v Atletico Madrid: TV channel, online stream
Arsenal v Atletico Madrid will be available to watch live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK, with coverage starting at 7pm BST. The match can also be streamed live via the discovery+ app and website.
Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm at the Emirates Stadium.
The stats for Arsenal v Atletico Madrid
- Arsenal have won their last 11 Champions League league phase/group-stage home games without conceding a goal
- Atletico are unbeaten in four of their last five matches in all competitions
- Mikel Arteta’s side have scored at least twice in each of their last three Champions League fixtures
- Atletico are winless in five away games this season (D3, L2)
- Arsenal have won six consecutive Champions League matches against Spanish opposition
Prediction
Atletico’s attacking quality means they should cause Arsenal problems, but their poor away form and inconsistent defending could prove costly.
Arsenal’s strength at home in Europe should see them edge this one to maintain their perfect record and reach their 100th Champions League victory.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Atletico Madrid
