By Humberto Viera
Atlético de Madrid and Arsenal signed a draw (1-1) this Tuesday in a Metropolitan Stadium that was once again decisive for the red and white survival in the UEFA Champions League. Despite starting with the score against, Diego Pablo Simeone’s team He managed to equalize the contest and put Mikel Arteta’s team in trouble.
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The match, planned as a tactical chess game between Simeone and Arteta, broke down on the brink of half-time. An inaccuracy in the release of the ball allowed Arsenal to display their quality through Odegaard and Zubimendi, culminating in an action where Viktor Gyökeres He fell in the area after contact with Hancko. The referee Danny Makkelie pointed out a penalty that the Swedish striker himself converted to make it 0-1 in the 44th minute.
After passing through the locker room and despite Giuliano Simeone being out due to discomfort, Atlético showed its most ambitious version. The insistence was rewarded in the 55th minute, when Julián ‘La Araña’ Álvarez restored equality on the scoreboard from the penalty spot, unleashing the euphoria of the almost 70,000 spectators present.
The final stretch of the match was a monologue of Atlético’s intentions. Antoine Griezmann was about to sign the comeback with a volley that hit the crossbar, while Lookman had a clear chance that David Raya managed to neutralize. Arsenal, which made an investment of more than 300 million euros in the summer to reinforce its squad, was forced to retreat in the face of the local push, finishing the match with defensive changes to ensure a draw.
The tie will be decided next Tuesday in London. Atlético will travel with the conviction that their character and personality can overcome Arsenal’s favoritism in their fiefdom, especially after an agonizing end to the match where the VAR intervened to rectify a second penalty initially awarded to the English team on Eberechi Eze.
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