Key Takeaways
- Atletico Madrid and Arsenal finished 1-1 in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night.
- Manager Diego Simeone insists the penalty awarded to his side by VAR was the correct decision.
- Three Atletico forwards are injury doubts for the second leg in London next week.
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has defended the video assistant referee (VAR) after it awarded his team a penalty during their 1-1 draw with Arsenal. The two sides met at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Wednesday for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.
Arsenal took the lead first in the match. However, Atletico fought back and earned a spot-kick which Julian Alvarez converted to level the score. Referee Danny Makkelie made three penalty decisions during the game, with two going in favour of the Spanish side.
Speaking after the match, Simeone made it clear he believes the officials got the key calls right. He pointed to the high standards of the Champions League, noting that similar situations in other semi-finals must result in penalties. He thanked the VAR system for helping the referee make the correct choice on the night.
The Argentine coach also praised the supporters who filled the stadium. He described the atmosphere at kick-off as tremendous and a wonderful gift to the players. He noted that his team grew stronger as the match progressed, while Arsenal showed signs of tiredness.
Simeone explained that Arsenal have played many games recently as they compete for both the Premier League title and the Champions League trophy. He felt his team created enough chances to win the match, praising saves from the Arsenal goalkeeper and a goal-line clearance from a defender.
Looking ahead to the return leg in London, Simeone faces concerns over three attacking players. Giuliano Simeone and Julian Alvarez both left the pitch with knocks during the match. Alexander Sorloth did not feature from the bench due to hamstring discomfort. However, the manager expects all three to recover in time for the trip to Arsenal’s home ground next Tuesday.