Key Takeaways
- Referee Danny Makkelie reversed his decision to award Arsenal a late penalty after reviewing the incident on the pitch-side monitor.
- Both teams scored from the penalty spot through Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez.
- The draw gives Arsenal a vital away goal and sets up a tense second leg at the Emirates Stadium.
The first leg of this European semi-final ended in a heated 1-1 draw at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. A crowd of 68,421 fans watched a match filled with spot-kick controversies.
Arsenal took the lead when Viktor Gyokeres converted from twelve yards. The Swedish striker won the penalty himself after David Hancko pushed him inside the box. This goal came during a first half where the English side looked comfortable and controlled possession.
However, Atletico Madrid fought back strongly after the break. The Spanish side won their own penalty when Ben White blocked a shot from Marcos Llorente with his arm. Following a VAR check, the referee decided White’s arm was in an unnatural position. Julian Alvarez stepped up and scored the equaliser.
The home team nearly won the match. Antoine Griezmann struck the woodwork with a powerful effort, while Ademola Lookman wasted a clear chance to score from the centre of the penalty area. David Raya made an important save to keep the scores level.
The main talking point arrived in the 78th minute. Substitute Eberechi Eze fell inside the box following contact from Hancko. The Dutch referee initially pointed to the spot, suggesting a second penalty for Arsenal. However, after watching the replay several times, he changed his mind and cancelled the decision.
This incident left Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta extremely angry. He spoke to reporters after the match and called the reversal “completely unacceptable”. The Spanish coach argued that there was no “clear and obvious error” to justify overturning the original call. He believes his team deserved to win and that the decision changes the whole tie.
Diego Simeone, the Atletico boss, refused to criticise his colleague directly. He suggested that neither penalty should have been given in such an important match. The Argentine coach praised his team’s fighting spirit but admitted Arsenal defended well against late pressure.
The result means Arsenal return to North London with a precious away goal. The second leg takes place at the Emirates Stadium next Tuesday. The winner will face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
Before that crucial match, Arsenal must focus on domestic duties. They host Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday evening. Atletico Madrid will travel to Valencia for their LaLiga fixture on the same day.