Arsenal – Atletico Madrid UEFA Europa League
Arsenal and Atletico Madrid are two teams used to play the Champions League, and in the case of the Spaniards in recent years also to go all the way. Both have confirmed their coat of arms coming to play this semifinal of Europa League. Arsenal failed to qualify for the Champions League in the last season and so took part in the Europa League since the group stage. The Atletico Madrid was instead eliminated from the Champions League group stage, where he finished third behind Rome and Chelsea.
Wenger and Simeone aim to win this competition to save an otherwise unsuccessful season, especially in the case of Arsenal that this year in the Premier League will not be able to reach the first four positions. The victory of the Europa League becomes even more important because it is the only way to start the next Champions League, which will take part instead of Atletico Madrid that most likely will end the Liga with an honorable second place.
The form state of the two teams
Arsenal are likely to close the Premier League with the worst final position since 1995, but have won seven of their last nine official matches and at home won the last six by scoring at least three goals. The Atletico Madrid has instead won only one of the last five games, but this negative series should be taken with the pliers. After the draw with Real Madrid, he lost the return of the Europa League quarter-finals against Sporting Cp, but the first leg won with a two to zero that left little doubt about the qualification. In the next match played with the typical formation he beat Levante at home, then Simeone made the turn over in the two matches of Liga against Real Sociedad and Betis. Now Atletico Madrid is thinking almost exclusively of this Europa League, which is why we expect the usual gritty and solid defense team.
The latest news on the formations
A problem for Atletico Madrid will be the absence in attack due to an injury of Diego Costa, a player who has made a major leap in quality to the team since he arrived during the winter transfer market. Diego Costa has the ideal characteristics to make the central striker in this team, it makes sense of the goal and the physical and the right grit to be the first player to press opponents when there is to defend and to do to face with the opponents when his team is to be raised. Without Diego Costa for Atletico Madrid it will be difficult to score more than one goal, which in his absence has rarely happened and which probably cost the elimination in the Champions League. Long-term Luis Filipe will also be absent, for the rest Simeone will be able to count on the typical training.
update: Diego Costa has recovered from injury, is part of the squad but should play at most a time. It is not known whether he will start his career or if Simeone prefers to use it in the current game.
On the other hand, Wenger, who announced his goodbye to Arsenal (imposed by the company) after twenty-two years, will have to do without two important players like Mkhitaryan injured and Aubameyang can not be used in this competition. The coach will not give up on a fairly offensive lineup, played with 4-2-3-1 and with talented players like Ozil and Lacazette. But the offensive department in this way will be less effective and will crash into the solid defense of Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal – Atletico Madrid Prediction
When playing Atletico it is difficult to watch spectacular matches, and given the importance of the stakes and the fact that it is the first leg is easier to imagine a match with few goals. Notwithstanding that on the other side there is an unpredictable team like Arsenal, sometimes capable of big business and games played on very high levels, other times unrecognizable as happened in the defeat against Ostersunds and in the draw in comeback against CSKA Moscow .
The absences of Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang and the game characteristics of Atletico Madrid push to bet on the sign “under 2.5”, it being understood that Arsenal has always made “goals” in the last five games and in the Premier League has a team that has just one goal less than Swansea seventeenth in the standings.
The probable formations of Arsenal – Atletico Madrid
ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Ramsey, Xhaka; Welbeck, Wilshere, Ozil; Lacazette.
ATLETIC MADRID (4-4-2): Oblak; Vrsaljko, Savic, Godin, Hernandez; Correa, Gabi, Saul Niguez, Koke; Gameiro (Diego Costa), Griezmann.
Prediction of the Day: UNDER 2.5
Odds: 1.74
Prediction Today: X
Odds: 3.20
Prediction of the Day: MULTIGOL 1-2 GUEST TEAM
Odds: 1.61
