Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid Leg 2 Match Preview

Richard Janvrin Last Updated on May 15, 2026

On Tuesday, May 5, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid will square off in the second leg of the two-leg matchup. These teams last played on Wednesday, April 29, and tied 1-1. This game will be played at Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal, making them the favorites.

Both teams scored thanks to a penalty, but Arsenal and their fans were none too happy when a penalty called for an alleged foul on Eberechi Eze was overturned after review. That could’ve put them in the driver’s seat to get a 2-1 win.

Below, I’ll preview this matchup and tell you where to watch it.

Arsenal Preview

With a win here, Arsenal will advance to its first Champions League final since 2006, when it lost to Barcelona.

Arsenal’s pass accuracy was 89% in the first matchup. Viktor Gyökeres scored Arsenal’s goal in the 44th minute thanks to a penalty.

Arsenal has only lost two of its last 23 Champions League matches. They now have the opportunity to go 14 unbeaten this round and have only allowed 0.65 goals per match.

Fortunately for Arsenal, Bukayo Saka is back in the lineup, but it’s unlikely Jurrien Timber returns as he’s dealing with a groin issue. Additionally, Mikel Merino will be out.

Arsenal recently took down Fulham, and Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard didn’t play at all and are being listed as out for this matchup, too.

Saka being back in the lineup is massive. He’s an excellent passer, shooter, and dribbler. He replaces Noni Madueke and is a clear upgrade. Saka sat out the rest of the match against Fulham after they went up 3-0, so he’ll be rested against Atletico Madrid, too.

Predicted Lineup: Álex Baena, Johnny Cardoso, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyökeres, Piero Hincapié, Ademola Lookman, Gabriel Magalhães, Gabriel Martinelli, David Raya, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Ben White, Martín Zubimendi.

Atletico Madrid Preview

Some may say Atletico Madrid got lucky after that penalty was overturned, but now they have a chance to go to the Emirates and take down Arsenal. They’ll have to do so without Jose Giminez and Pablo Barios, though.

Atletico Madrid heads into this match off a 2-0 win over Valencia in La Liga, which certainly helps. This will be the second time Atletico Madrid has played at Emirates this season, losing 4-0 back in October.

Against Valencia, Diego Simeone rotated his entire starting XI. This allowed players to get plenty of rest. This could prove to be a major difference, as Arsenal has lost players to injury and has played hard and often this season.

Still, beating Arsenal at home in a game of this magnitude is going to be hard to do.

Predicted Lineup: Thiago Almada, Álex Baena, Johnny Cardoso, Antoine Griezmann, Koke, Robin Le Normand, Ademola Lookman, Nahuel Molina, Jan Oblak, Marc Pubill, Matteo Ruggeri.