Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal Lineups April 2026 – The Champions League semifinals once again present a thrilling clash between two teams both chasing their first-ever Champions League trophy in history.

Atletico Madrid will host Arsenal in the first leg, which is predicted to be fiercely contested and filled with high intensity.

This match is scheduled to take place at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Wednesday, 29 April 2026 at 09.00 PM local time.

The winner of this two-legged tie will face Bayern Munich or defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in the final at Puskas Arena, Budapest, on 30 May.

Before this match begins, let us take a look at Mansion Sports' prediction for the Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal lineups in April 2026 below.

Team Conditions Ahead of the Match

Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid are preparing for their seventh European Cup/Champions League semifinal and their first since the 2016-17 season after eliminating fellow Spanish rivals Barcelona with a 3-2 aggregate victory in the quarter-finals.

Traditionally known as a pragmatic side under Diego Simeone, Atletico have shown a different face in Europe this season.

They have scored 34 goals in the Champions League, the highest total in the club’s history in the competition, surpassing their previous record of 26 goals in the 2013-14 season.

Eight of those goals were scored when defeating Arsenal’s rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, with an 8-5 aggregate victory in the Round of 16.

The Madrid giants have scored in each of their last 12 matches across all competitions.

Most recently, they secured a 3-2 victory over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga last Saturday, ending a run of four consecutive league defeats while strengthening their top-four position.

A difficult test now awaits Atletico, who suffered a 4-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates during the league phase this season.

Simeone’s side have also won only two of their last 12 matches against English clubs in UEFA competitions, alongside two draws and eight defeats.

However, Atletico have won 11 of their last 15 two-legged European ties against English teams, including all three semifinals they have previously contested.

They have also lost only twice in their last 18 matches against English clubs in Madrid, recording nine wins and seven draws.

Arsenal

For the first time in club history, Arsenal have reached the Champions League semifinals in two consecutive seasons.

This also marks their fourth semifinal overall after eliminating Sporting Lisbon with a 1-0 aggregate victory in the quarter-finals.

Mikel Arteta’s side were flawless in the 36-team league phase, winning all eight matches.

Arsenal are also the only team still unbeaten in this season’s Champions League, with a record of 10 wins and two draws.

Arsenal’s domestic form had briefly lacked consistency, but they ended a four-match losing streak with a narrow 1-0 win over Newcastle United last Saturday.

That result restored Arsenal’s three-point lead at the top of the Premier League standings over closest rivals Manchester City.

Although ending a 22-year league title drought remains the primary objective, lifting a first European trophy is also a major target for The Gunners.

Arsenal’s record against Spanish teams provides additional optimism, as they have won their last seven Champions League meetings against La Liga clubs.

Arsenal travel to Madrid having lost only once in their last 11 away Champions League matches, with nine wins and one draw.

However, Arsenal were previously eliminated by Atletico with a 2-1 aggregate defeat in the 2017-18 Europa League semifinals.

Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal Lineups April 2026

Atletico Madrid (4-4-2)

Regarding the home squad condition, Atletico Madrid duo Pablo Barrios (hamstring) and Jose Gimenez (muscle) are unavailable due to injury. Meanwhile, Ademola Lookman (muscle) and David Hancko (ankle) remain doubtful and will undergo late fitness tests before kickoff.

Julian Alvarez, who had previously been linked with Arsenal, recently experienced slight physical discomfort.

Although he did not play last week, the Argentine striker has confirmed that he is “100% ready to play” against Arsenal and could start alongside Antoine Griezmann or Alexander Sorloth, who scored twice against Athletic.

Johnny Cardoso, Rodrigo Mendoza, or Marcos Llorente could return to replace Barrios and partner Koke in midfield. Llorente could also feature at right-back, although Nahuel Molina is more likely to be selected.

Arsenal (4-3-3)

From Arsenal’s side, Kai Havertz (muscle) joins Mikel Merino (foot) and Jurrien Timber (ankle) in the treatment room after suffering an injury against Newcastle.

Eberechi Eze also experienced a similar issue, but Arteta confirmed that the player is “ready to play.” Riccardo Calafiori could also return to the squad after participating in training sessions this week.

Martin Zubimendi is expected to be fit after previously dealing with illness that forced him off early against Newcastle.

Although Arteta may be tempted to keep Eze on the left side, he could also restore Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Trossard to the starting XI. Meanwhile, Viktor Gyokeres is predicted to replace Havertz in attack.

Bukayo Saka impressed as a substitute against Newcastle after recovering from injury, and the young Arsenal winger could make his first start in over a month on the right side of the attack.

This match is predicted to be one of the most exciting semifinal clashes this season. With Atletico showing strong attacking productivity and Arsenal remaining unbeaten in Europe, this first leg could be a decisive step toward the Champions League final. It will be fascinating to see which side can gain the early advantage.