Arsenal, Atlético Draw 1-1 in Champions League Semifinal First Leg

Atlético Madrid and Arsenal concluded the first leg of their 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League semifinal with a 1-1 draw at Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Both goals originated from penalty kicks.

Arsenal's Viktor Gyökeres opened the scoring, converting a penalty in the 44th minute after a foul by Hancko. Gyökeres's goal gave Arsenal a 1-0 lead going into halftime. Atlético Madrid equalized in the 56th minute when Julián Álvarez successfully converted a penalty awarded after a foul by Ben White. This marked Álvarez's 10th goal in the current Champions League campaign, establishing a new club record for most goals in a single Champions League edition by an Atlético player.

Match officials initially awarded a third penalty to Arsenal following a challenge on Eze by Hancko, but a VAR review subsequently overturned the decision. The result sets up a decisive second leg in London. The second leg is scheduled for next Tuesday, with both teams returning to domestic league play this Saturday. Atlético, currently fourth in La Liga, will visit 11th-placed Valencia. Premier League leaders Arsenal will host Fulham, who sit 10th in their league.