Champions League semi-final first leg: Atlético de Madrid vs Arsenal facts

Atlético de Madrid and Arsenal kick off their UEFA Champions League semi-final at the Estadio Metropolitano – the second time the teams have met in this season's competition.

Atleti were beaten 4-0 at the Arsenal Stadium on Matchday 3 but recovered to finish 14th in the league phase before overcoming Club Brugge 7-4 on aggregate in the knockout phase play-offs (3-3 a, 4-1 h), Tottenham Hotspur 7-5 in the round of 16 (5-2 h, 2-3 a) and Barcelona 3-2 in an all-Spanish quarter-final (2-0 a, 1-2 h).

Arsenal won all eight games in the league phase – the first time that had been achieved in the new Champions League format – and have since eliminated Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 on aggregate (1-1 a, 2-0 h) and Sporting CP (1-0 a, 0-0 h) in the round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively.

Last match

This is the teams' fourth meeting. Second-half goals from Gabriel (57), Gabriel Martinelli (64) and Viktor Gyökeres (67 70) gave Arsenal a 4-0 victory in north London on 21 October.

The teams' only previous fixtures before this season came in the 2017/18 UEFA Europa League semi-finals, a 1-1 draw in London in which Antoine Griezmann scored a late equaliser followed by a 1-0 home win for Atleti on their way to lifting the trophy.

Atleti have won only two of their last 12 matches against English teams (D2 L8).

However, at home the Spanish side have won nine of their 18 games against English visitors, losing only two (D7).

This season's round of 16 victory against Tottenham was Atleti's 11th in their 15 two-legged ties against English teams.

Atleti have also won all three European semi-finals against Premier League opponents, beating Liverpool on away goals in the 2009/10 Europa League (1-0 h, 1-2 a aet) and Chelsea 3-1 on aggregate in the 2013/14 Champions League (0-0 h, 3-1 a) before defeating Arsenal in the 2017/18 Europa League.

The Matchday 3 win against Atleti was Arsenal's seventh successive Champions League victory against Spanish opposition – a European Cup first for any club.

Arsenal have won their last four away matches against Spanish teams, most recently 2-0 at Athletic Club on Matchday 1 this season.

The Gunners have won five of their nine Champions League knockout ties against Spanish opposition. This is their second semi-final against a Spanish club having beaten Villarreal 1-0 on aggregate in 2005/06 (1-0 h, 0-0 a) – their only previous victory at this stage.

Atlético de Madrid

Atleti are making their 16th appearance in the Champions League proper and a 13th in succession. They have featured every season since 2013/14.

Runners-up in 2014 and 2016, both against Real Madrid, Diego Simeone's side lost to their neighbours on penalties in last season's round of 16 (1-2 a, 1-0 h, 2-4 pens).

Arsenal 

Having not featured in the Champions League proper between 2016/17 and 2023/24, Arsenal are making their third successive appearance.

The Gunners reached the semi-finals last season – their best run in the competition since 2008/09 – before a 1-3 aggregate defeat by eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain (0-1 h, 1-2 a).

Key stats

Atleti are in their seventh European Cup semi-final; their record is W3 L3.

This is Atleti's first Champions League semi-final since 2016/17, when they lost 4-2 on aggregate to Real Madrid (0-3 a, 2-1 h); their last success at this stage came in 2015/16, on away goals against Bayern München (1-0 h, 1-2 a).

Atleti have won six of their last seven European semi-finals, most recently against Arsenal in the 2017/18 Europa League.

Atleti's 34 goals in this season's Champions League is their most in a single European Cup campaign, beating the previous best of 26 in 2013/14.

Atleti have won 15 of their last 21 two-legged European ties.

The 1-2 home defeat by Barcelona in the quarter-final second leg ended Atleti's 21-game unbeaten run in home Champions League knockout ties (W14 D7), stretching back to a 2-3 loss to Ajax in the 1996/97 quarter-final second leg.

Arsenal have reached the Champions League semi finals in successive seasons for the first time in their history.

This is the Gunners' fourth Champions League semi-final; they beat Villarreal in 2005/06 but have lost the last two, against Manchester United in 2008/09 (0-1 a, 1-3 h) and Paris last season.

Mikel Arteta's side have won five of their last seven two-legged Champions League ties.

Arsenal have lost only two of their last 22 Champions League matches (W17 D3) and are unbeaten in this season's competition (W10 D2), keeping eight clean sheets.

Defeat in Paris in last season's semi-final second leg is Arsenal's only loss in 11 away Champions League games (W9 D1).