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71 min This would be a superb result for Arsenal, however fraught the second half has been. Big 20 minutes coming up klaxon.
69 min The substitute Trossard loses the ball in a dangerous area. Alvarez finds Griezmann, whose early ball towards Lookman is well cut out by Saliba.
68 min: Triple substitution for Arsenal With Arsenal unable to get out in the second half, Mikel Arteta has changed his entire forward line. Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard are on for Gyokeres, Madueke and Martinelli.
64 min Alvarez tries to score direct from a corner, forcing Raya to scramble back and push the ball over the bar. Atletico have been too hot for Arsenal to handle in the second half.
The follow-up corner leads to a cross from Griezmann, a header across goal and a volley into orbit from Lookman. Tough chance.
63 min: Griezmann hits the bar!
Ruggeri’s cross is controlled by Lookman just inside the area. He guides a short square pass to Griezmann, who is falling backwards when he floats a beautiful effort that beats Raya and hits the bar. Arsenal can’t clear and moments later – seconds later – Griezmann hits a sizzling volley that deflects not far far.
62 min Alvarez is fine.
61 min Alvarez is down after being caught by Rice. The break in play might be good for Arsenal, who are in danger of being overwhelmed.
59 min I’ve no idea how Diego Simeone addressed his team at half-time. Raw steak? Cattle prod? Whatever he did has worked because it’s been a completely different game.
57 min: Arsenal substitution Eberechi Eze is on for Martin Odegaard.
GOAL! Atletico 1-1 Arsenal (Alvarez 56 pen)
Julian Alvarez whips a fierce penalty into the left corner of the net. David Raya stood still – one of the backroom staff spoke to him before the penalty – but I doubt he’d have saved it anyway.
55 min: Penalty to Atletico!
The referee goes to the monitor and gives the penalty. Llorente’s shot was going miles wide as well, not that it matters.
54 min The resulting corner was pinged to Llorente on the edge of the area. His shot bounced up and hit the hand of White – he knew nothing about it but his arm was well away from his body, and we all know what that means in the modern game.
54 min This is going to be a penalty for Atletico…
53 min: Double chance for Atletico!
Oblak’s long kick is touched off deftly by Griezmann to Alvarez. He puts Lookman through on goal, and his shot – too close to the keeper – is beaten away by Raya. Griezmann’s follow-up hits the elbow of Gabriel, wrapped tight to his side, and flies over the bar.
49 min: Just wide from Alvarez! The resulting free-kick is curled extravagantly over the wall and into the side netting by Alvarez. It was a brilliant effort, though the diving Raya may have had it covered. Plenty of home fans thought it was in when they saw the net ripple.
48 min Atletico have started the second half with greater intensity. Cardozo is fouled 25 yards from goal by Gyokeres, a very similar challenge to the one that led to Arsenal’s penalty.
46 min Arsenal get the second half under way, and why not.
Half-time substitution Atletico have brought on Robin Le Normand for Giuliano Simeone. Marcos Llortente has moved to the right of midfield.
Half-time reading
Half time: Atletico Madrid 0-1 Arsenal
It’s 1-0 to the Arsenal thanks to Viktor Gyokeres’s 19th goal of the season. They were nervous for the first few minutes but once they got going they dictated the tempo of an unsurprisingly hard-fought game. Atletico have work to do.
45 min At first I thought Gyokeres’s penalty was right in the corner. Replays show it was potentially saveable, as it went between Oblak’s arms and into the net. That said, Gyokeres hit it with punishing force.
GOAL! Atletico 0-1 Arsenal (Gyokeres 44 pen)
Viktor Gyokeres smashes the penalty into the net! Jan Oblak went the right way, to his right, but was beaten for pace.
44 min Atletico are fuming. It wasn’t a stonewall penalty, but there was a decent amount of contact and it was never going to be overturned.
42 min: Penalty to Arsenal!
Zubimendi plays a give-and-go with Odegaard before guiding a nice ball into Gyokere in the area. He takes a touch and is about to shoot when Hancko runs into him from behind. Gyokeres goes over and the penalty is given.
42 min Atletico break through Simeone on the right. His cross is cut out by Gabriel and collected by Alvarez, who is importantly dispossessed on the edge of the area by Rice. Good defending.
40 min Alvarez’s shot in the 14th minute remains the only effort on target. Martinelli tries to change that with a speculative curler from the left edge of the area; Llorente heads it away.
38 min “At this stage in last night’s game we already had forty-nine goals,” writes Peadar de Búrca. “And look, there’s more to the beautiful game than multiple goalgasms, but what I’m finding it hard to live without is the visual appeal of Kvaratskhelia’s frictionless hip-to-shoulder swagger. Is this how Elizabeth Bennet felt when Mr Darcy pulled on his socks and shorts and scored a hattrick for the Herfordshire Harriers?”
I’m afraid I don’t understand that reference. Could you translate it into Dawson’s Creek.
36 min Alvarez nicks a pass out of defence from Arsenal and has a shot blocked. Atletico are definitely setting traps for the Arsenal back four/five.
35 min “I know you can’t pick and choose these things,” begins Ben Watson, “but to me it feels like the Premier League might not come around for Arsenal again if they don’t win it this year, whereas a bit of form in the latter stages can always lead to a Champs League (final / win).
“So while beating either Munich or PSG in a final would be a real achievement, Arsenal really need to win the league this year. Amiright?”
Aye, were I an Arsenal fan I think I’d want the Premier League more, counter-intuirive as it sounds.
34 min It feels like this first half is being played on Arsenal’s terms rather than Atletico’s. It’s still an even game but the slow-slowwww-quick tempo is more to Arsenal’s liking.
30 min: Just wide from Madueke!
Rice wins the ball superbly in the Atletico half and finds Odegaard. He touches it off to Madueke, who marches infield and flashes a curling shot from 25 yards with his left foot. Oblak dives to his right and the the ball goes just wide.
29 min Ruggeri’s cross is headed over from 12 yards by Alvarez, an imaginative effort but a very tough chance.
26 min Arsenal will be really pleased with how quiet they have kept the great Antoine Griezmann. There has been a bit more threat from Julian Alvarez, but nothing you wouldn’t expect in a game like this.
24 min Arsenal’s first corner of the night is a load of nonsense, underhit by Madueke and headed away by Griezmann.
