UEFA Europa League Atletico Madrid – Arsenal
What happened in the first leg
After just ten minutes from the start of the Emirates match, the French referee Turpin has sent off the red card for Atletico Madrid Vrsaljko. And later he also removed the coach Simeone from the field to protest. From then on, Arsenal dominated the game by attacking all the time. The Atletico Madrid is however very organized in the phase of non-possession of the ball, and put the defense lines and midfield close together to protect the penalty area. Finding spaces to attack and claiming the advantage of playing with an extra man was very complicated for Arsenal but he managed to find the lead with a good header from the strong striker Lacazette.
Atletico Madrid, however, is a tough and very strong team also on a mental level. Immediately the goal of one to zero, the team is not disunited and continued to defend with great order, giving other opportunities to Arsenal but never give the feeling of being to collapse at any moment.
And after having resisted for much of the second half, Atletico Madrid at the first good opportunity on the counterattack, taking advantage of Arsenal’s usual defensive uncertainty, scored the invaluable goal of one to one with Griezmann.
On a moral level, the tie of the first leg was a hard blow to be digested for a humoral team like Arsenal. Without the compactness of Atletico Madrid’s defense and the miracles of Oblak, now firmly one of the best goalkeepers in Europe, Arsenal would be playing the return match with the mortgaged semi-final. Instead, he will have to go hunting for a complicated away win or a draw with at least two goals scored.
What to expect from Atletico Madrid – Arsenal
The problem for Arsenal is that scoring two goals will be very difficult, as in the first leg while playing at home and eleven against ten for eighty minutes, he could not make more than one. Atletico Madrid have won fifteen of their last sixteen Europa League games played at home, and in the new stadium “Wanda Metropolitano” is three out of three in Europe. Counting all the competitions, Atletico Madrid has hit ten wins and a draw in the last eleven games without ever conceding a goal.
From a tactical point of view also the game is good for Atletico Madrid, which thanks to the goal scored by Griezmann away will theoretically play for zero to zero, with which the turn would pass. Simeone will set a defensive game, so as not to take risks and wait for a good opportunity to score, which will most likely come because Arsenal sooner or later (more likely in the second half) will have to jump and defensive leaves often to be desired .
The latest on the formations
In Atletico Madrid there will certainly be no disqualification for right-back Vrsaljko, who was sent off in the first leg. Given that the other full-back Juanfran will not be in the game due to injury, it is very likely that Simeone decides to move the defensive midfielder Partey, who has already played this role in the first leg. The only other absent is left-back Filipe Luis, long since injured.
Simeone’s team will be without the fullbacks, but the defensive game is so well organized that Arsenal’s offensive players will have an easy time, since they will have to deal with the doubles of the opposing midfield players. As for the rest, Simeone will be able to count on the typical training and it is very likely compared to the first leg the use of the first minute of Diego Costa, definitively recovered from the injury that made him skip the last games.
On the other hand the most important recovery for Wenger is that of Mkhitaryan, among other things scored last Sunday against Manchester United. The Armenian midfielder will try together with Ozil to pierce the solid defense in some way. Net of the absence of Aubameyang, not usable in this competition, Arsenal will play with the best possible training. And in place of the former Borussia Dortmund there will be another great striker with Lacazette, signing sixteen times in his first season with the “Gunners”. In defense the power stations will be Mustafi and Koscienly, who will have a difficult client like Diego Costa: expected sparks and lots of yellow cards. In midfield a lot of quality with Xhaka, Wilshere and especially Ramsey: his insertions without a ball could put in difficulty even a solid defense like that of Atletico Madrid.
The probable formations Atletico Madrid – Arsenal
ATLETIC MADRID (4-4-2): Oblak; Partey, Gimenez, Godin, Hernandez; Saul Niguez, Gabi, Koke, Vitolo; Griezmann, Diego Costa.
ARSENAL (4-3-3): Ospina; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Xhaka, Wilshere, Ramsey; Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Lacazette.
Prediction Today: 1X + UNDER 3.5
Odds: 1.54
