What we're covering
• Colchoneros host the Gunners: The Metropolitano stadium plays host to Atlético Madrid and Arsenal’s Champions League semifinal 1st leg in the Spanish capital. It’s currently 0-0 in the first half.
• Atleti and Arsenal chasing the dream: Neither club has won the European Cup, though both have made the final before. The Colchoneros have reached the final three times (1974, 2014 and 2016) and the London club did it once (2006).
• Last night’s chaos: If you missed last night’s game between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich – wow, you lost out. The 5-4 thriller that Les Parisiens won included comebacks, spectacular goals, a bit of controversy and non-stop action. Read up on everything that happened here.
• Cobertura en directo en español: sigue toda nuestra cobertura de las semifinales de la Liga de Campeones en CNN en Español.
Penalty to Arsenal!
This game looked to be cruising into half-time at 0-0. But maybe not now.
Viktor Gyökeres is bundled over in the box after some sloppy play from Atleti.
Still no goals. I miss yesterday's semifinal
Not to keep laboring the point, but at this point yesterday, we had seen three goals and numerous chances for both Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
The commentators for this game are currently talking about the logistics of cleaning up the toilet paper we mentioned earlier from the side of the pitch. Says all you need to know.
Joking aside, it’s been a mature start to the match from Arsenal who has wrestled control of this tie so far. Still 0-0 though after over 30 minutes of play.
Big chances for both sides as game opens up
The match temporarily sparked into life there.
Julián Alvarez initially went close with a well-worked shot which was saved by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
The resulting corner was then cleared by Arsenal and Viktor Gyökeres did well to carry the ball into Atleti’s box. His cross was met by Martin Ødegaard, but the Arsenal captain saw his shot blocked.
Raucous (and papery) atmosphere at the Metropolitano
A sort of odd spectacle occurred before the match kicked off as the Atleti fans began to shower the pitch with toilet paper. Even as an avid Spanish soccer fan, our editor Patrick has not seen that very often.
Additionally, as they were before the game kicked off, the Atlético fans are in full voice.
The crowd is also constantly chanting, swapping between classic club songs and “At-leeeee-ti!” The cacophony continues to ring around the stadium even when the home side doesn’t have the ball.
One fun quirk of Spanish soccer crowds: The chants quickly turn into whistles as soon as the opponent comes anywhere close to goal and Arsenal is not spared the treatment.
But it’s still all square early on in Madrid.
Early chance for Arsenal as match settles down
It’s a very different game than yesterday’s semifinal, as expected.
Both teams are so quick to get back in their defensive shape, sitting with all 11 players behind the ball. It’s making it hard for anyone to create anything so far.
Arsenal, though, had an early chance after Noni Madueke broke clear and sat his cross up at the back post. Piero Hincapié, though, rushed his finish and wasted the chance.
Another note is that a couple players have slipped on the surface so far. That issue proved a problem for Tottenham when it visited this stadium in the round of 16.
Hopefully, more to report soon.
Kickoff in the Champions League semifinals!
The Champions League anthem has blared in the Metropolitano, the whistle has blown and the action is underway in the second semifinal clash of this season’s competition.
Atlético, draped in its customary red and white stripes, with Arsenal sporting its dark blue and gray away colors.
If tonight’s game comes anything close to what we saw in Paris last night, then we really are in for a treat.
Strap in folks!
Can this be the perfect fairy tale ending for Simeone?
It would be one of the best stories in soccer if Diego Simeone can finally go on to lead Atlético to Champions League glory.
Atléti fans over the decades have seen their team finish runner-up on three separate occasions – twice in recent history under El Cholo in 2014 and 2016. On both occasions, Los Rojiblancos suffered defeat to their fierce rival Real Madrid.
If this is to be Simeone’s last season at a club where he’s revered as both a player and head coach, what a storyline it would be. On so many levels, it would be the perfect send-off.
Before that though, there’s unfinished business against the Gunners who beat Atlético 4-0 late last year when the two teams met in the league phase of this season’s Champions League!
I really have "great admiration" for Simeone, says Dutch legend Gullit
Atlético Madrid is a team that has often punched above its weight under Diego Simeone.
Domestically, Atleti has to go toe to toe with Spanish and European soccer giants Barcelona – who it overcame in the quarters – and Real Madrid every year in Spain’s La Liga.
Coincidentally, the two times the club has reached the final under the Argentinian manager, the Colchoneros faced arch-rival Real, coming up short on both occasions in 2014 and 2016.
But 15 years into his tenure, the 56-year-old Argentine is still as fired up as ever to get his hands on Ol’ Big Ears and lift the trophy for the first time in Atlético’s history.
And despite his trophy cabinet not being as glittering as some of his peers over the past 15 years, the tremendous job Simeone has done in the Spanish capital has not gone unnoticed – even by some of the best to ever play the game.
“Simeone belongs in a list of the best coaches in the game,” Dutch soccer legend Ruud Gullit told CNN Sports.
“He never gets the credit for what he does. He plays a game that is recognizable, simple for his players, (with) a lot of discipline and running.
“I have really great admiration for Simeone. What he does with his team, how his players play – unbelievable.”
Mixed feelings at Arsenal this season
It’s been a strange season for Arsenal, to say the least.
On paper, it’s going really well. The club is top of the English Premier League with just four matches left to play and it’s in yet another Champions League semifinal.
And yet there is an edginess around the club.
That’s because Arsenal’s form has seemingly fallen off a cliff in the past month or so, a period during which it has thrown away an unforgivable lead in the league and struggled to find any decent form.
As the ongoing title battle with Manchester City plays out in the Premier League – in which Arsenal is looking to win its first league title since 2004 – today’s semifinal has sort of come out of the blue.
Perhaps the tie will be a chance for the players to shake off the nerves they clearly feel in the title race and focus on a new goal – winning the club its first-ever Champions League trophy.
Here's how the teams will lineup for the semifinal
The lineups have been released by the teams and this is how both will start in Spain.
There are no major surprises in the Arsenal team. Kai Havertz misses out through injury, which means Viktor Gyökeres leads the line in attack.
Bukayo Saka starts on the bench as the star forward continues to dip his toes back into action after returning from injury.
Meanwhile, Atlético fans will be pleased to see talismanic striker Julián Álvarez start in attack. The in-form Argentinian will be joined by the veteran midfielder Antoine Griezmann.
Griezmann will be leaving the Spanish club at the end of the season to join MLS side Orlando City, after almost 500 appearances for Atleti across two spells.
Unrest outside the stadium before kickoff
There has seemingly been some unrest outside the Metropolitano Stadium as fans make their way into the venue.
Videos on social media show Atleti fans running down a small grass bank outside the stadium, seemingly getting away from tear gas after some reported clashes between police and supporters.
Marca journalist Carlos Fernández said of the scene: “The fan welcome for the players was one of the most spectacular that there have ever been at the Metropolitano.
“The welcome was spectacular, but it was a little clouded with that and it’s a shame that the night starts like that.”
Details are a little thin at the moment, but we’ll try to update you as soon as we know more.
Both of these teams have never lifted Ol’ Big Ears – here's what it is
There aren’t many trophies like it.
As the creator of the redesigned Champions League trophy, Jörg Stadelmann, told UEFA.com, “It may not be an artistic masterpiece, but everybody in football is keen to get their hands on it.”
To be fair to Stadelmann, he was on a tight deadline as he had to finish before he left for his wedding and honeymoon.
“It had to be finished before March 28 (of that year),” Stadelmann told UEFA. “I did the finer work, then it was finished off by the engraver, Fred Bänninger. On time, I am glad to say.”
The new trophy commissioned by UEFA General Secretary Hans Bangerter was designed by the Swiss jeweler in 1967 and stands at 29 inches (73.5 cm) tall and weighs 16.5 pounds (7.5 kg).
Stadelmann told UEFA: “My father Hans and I went along to Herr Bangerter’s office and covered the whole floor with drawings. He made comments like, ‘The Bulgarians would like the bottom of that. The Spaniards would like this but the Italians would prefer that and the Germans would go for this.’ We put the design together like a jigsaw puzzle.”
All-in-all, the trophy officially named the Coupe des Clubs Champions Européens (or the European Champion Clubs’ Cup in English) took 340 hours to make.
The original European Cup, awarded to winners from the inaugural final in 1956 until the redesign in 1967, was smaller with much less prominent handles. The handles of the redesign are oversized and curved, earning the trophy the nickname “Ol’ Big Ears.”
In French, it’s “La Coupe aux Grandes Oreilles” or “the cup with big ears.” In Spanish, it’s known as “La Orejona” or “the big ear,” according to the New York Times.
How Atlético Madrid reached the semifinals
Atlético Madrid had an up-and-down path to the semifinals this season.
The Colchoneros finished the league phase in a distinctly unimpressive 14th with four wins, one draw and three losses, needing to make it through the play-off to reach the knockout rounds.
While I earlier said Atleti isn’t known for its offense, the Madrid team had a high-scoring clash with Club Brugge (11 goals were scored across both legs) to make it into the round of 16.
Diego Simeone’s men once again went guns blazing against Tottenham, winning 7-5 on aggregate. Despite being on the “easier” side of the draw, Atleti’s prize for that win? A quarterfinal matchup against powerhouse Barcelona.
While Barça went into the tie as the slight favorite, Atleti had twice knocked Barcelona out of the Champions League quarterfinal stage. History repeated itself this year, with the “Mattress Makers” stunning Barça at the Camp Nou 2-0, before holding out at the Metropolitano in a 2-1 loss to progress to the semifinals on aggregate.
Defensive powerhouse: Atlético is second in both fouls committed and yellow cards in the Champions League this season. The Colchoneros are also second in balls recovered and tackles in this year’s competition.
How Arsenal reached the semifinals
Arsenal is the only team left in the competition to still be unbeaten in this season’s Champions League.
The Gunners topped the league phase with eight wins from eight, including a 4-0 win against today’s opponents Atlético Madrid and a 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich.
The London club then edged past Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16 before sneaking past Sporting in a rather drab quarterfinal.
It’s been a campaign built on a sturdy defense – Arsenal has kept eight clean sheets across the campaign – one it hopes will stand up against arguably its toughest opposition of this year’s knockout stage.
Stingy defense: Arsenal has only conceded five goals in the entire Champions League this season, across 12 mathces.
What happened in Tuesday's record-breaking semifinal
I can pretty much guarantee (famous last words) that today’s semifinal will not see as many goals as yesterday.
For those who missed it, Paris Saint-Germain beat Bayern Munich 5-4 in one of the most exciting Champions League matches in living memory.
With so much attacking talent on the pitch, it’s perhaps no wonder that the game saw the most goals in a single Champions League semifinal leg.
PSG will be happy to take a one-goal advantage into the second leg in Munich next week, but it could have been even better for the reigning champion. The Parisians found themselves 5-2 at the hour mark but conceded two quick-fire goals that have seemingly kept the tie alive.
Given that both today’s semifinalists focus so much on defending, the match doesn’t promise to be anywhere near as exciting for the neutral.
How to watch the Champions League semifinal clash between Atleti and Arsenal
If you are not one of the lucky ones to have made it to my home city – the best place in the world, in my humble opinion – there are lots of other ways to follow this Champions League semifinal first leg. You can, of course, follow all the action with us here or watch the highlights later on CNN World Sport at 5:30 p.m. ET.
The match kicks off at 3 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. local and will be broadcast live in the US on CBS, Paramount+, TUDN and DAZN.
A full list of broadcasters around the world can be found here.
Buenas tardes and good afternoon
Hello and welcome to our coverage of the Champions League semifinal first leg between Atlético Madrid and Arsenal in the Spanish capital.
The Metropolitano stadium plays host to the greatest club competition in the world – and all you need to prove that is last night’s outrageous, unhinged, record-breaking match between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
If you are relatively new to the “Beautiful Game,” yesterday’s bonanza might have you thinking that we’re set for another goalfest, but I’m here to caution that today will likely be a wholly different affair. That’s because two teams taking the pitch are far more known for their defensive exploits.
Atleti has boasted one of the most tenacious and physical defenses in the world during manager Diego Simeone’s tenure. On the other side, the Gunners have been one of the stingiest sides in the Premier League – they are first in clean sheets and goals conceded – and have only let in five goals during this year’s Champions League.
However, don’t let that put you off. Soccer is more than just all-out attack. The more defensive strategy often delights the purists, with both Simeone and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta being experts in the field.
So while we probably won’t see more goals tonight than yesterday, the soccer on display will still be fascinating… just in a different way.
Sit back and enjoy the show.
