Champions League: Can Atletico Surprise the Gunners?  

Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid

All roads lead to the Emirates on Tuesday night for a mouth-watering tie when Champions League: Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid kicks off at 8pm local time.

Two of the best managers in the business will lock horns when Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal attempt to keep up their 100 per cent record, while Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid search for their second victory of the 2025/26 campaign.

A 2-0 win away to a dangerous Athletic Bilbao side and then a 2-0 home win against Olympiakos has given the Gunners the start Arteta wanted; and the pre-match Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid betting odds say the hosts can make it three from three. But they meet a side in strong form overall and impressive in the Champions League. After a Marcos Llorente brace looked to have given Atleti a draw away to Liverpool they fell only to an injury time winner from Virgil Van Dijk.

Los Rojiblancos responded to that setback by walloping Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 and, as their recent form suggests, Simeone’s men know how to spring a surprise.  

 

Talking Points

Strength in depth can bring silverware to Arsenal

Arsenal has been the ‘nearly’ team under Arteta, finishing in second place in the Premier League three seasons running and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, only to be beaten by eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain. But the manager thinks this may be their year to open the trophy cabinet…if they can find the key!

In six years in charge at the Emirates Arteta has delivered just one major trophy, the FA Cup back in 2020, and he has picked up two Community Shields. But the Premier League and success in Europe is what the Gunners’ fans crave and this dream may soon become a reality if the team continues to impress.

Arteta has seriously strengthened during the summer, bringing in striker Viktor Gyokores, winger Eberechi Eze and midfield general Martin Zubimendi and his team has climbed to the top of the Premier League table while thriving in Europe. In past years Arteta has relied on a core team of top class players but now he is able to shuffle his pack, and in the win over Olimpiakos he managed to start without the available trio of Eze, midfielder Declan Rice and winger Bukayo Saka. The Gunners still managed to win 2-0 thanks to an early goal from Gabriel Martinelli and an injury time second from substitute Saka. And it was a goal from Leandro Trossard which gave Arsenal a hard fought 1-0 win at Fulham on Saturday, to make it five victories on the bounce, with just one goal conceded.  

 

This new Atleti is less predictable

Under Simeone Los Rojiblancos forged a reputation as being the hardest team to break down in world football, masters of the 1-0 win with defenders of the calibre of Diego Godin making life unbearable for hungry strikers in Spain and Europe. Well Atleti are somewhat less predictable now as their two Champions League scores suggest and the Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid highlights should give us plenty to talk about. 

The dramatic 3-2 loss to Liverpool was followed by the stunning 5-1 thrashing of Frankfurt and, in recent weeks, Los Rojiblancos have beaten Rayo Vallecano 3-2, thanks to a Julian Alvarez hat-trick, and the Argentine hitman was the star of the show when Atleti won the Madrid Derby in such spectacular fashion, slapping Los Blancos 5-2.

But they can still eke out a 1-0 win.

On Saturday Simeone’s men climbed up to fourth in the Primera Division thanks to a Thiago Almada goal, the only strike in the win over Osasuna, though Antoine Griezmann, Llorete and Alvarez all went close.         

 

History

These two teams met in the 2018 UEFA Europa League and the Spaniards had the upper hand, drawing 1-1 at the Emirates before beating the Gunners 1-0 back in Madrid. 

Neither club has won the Champions League; Los Rojiblancos are three times finalists, in 1974, 2014 and 2016, while the Gunners reached their only final in 2006. But both teams enter this clash at the Emirates in fine form; Arsenal have won five and drawn one of their last six games, in all competitions, while Atletico Madrid have won four and drawn two.

 

Betting Tip

Arsenal are strong favourites at SBOTOP odds of 1.60 to make it three wins from three, while Atleti can be backed at 5.50 and the draw is at 3.85. Los Rojiblancos do carry a serious threat and are far less predictable than in past times, but Arsenal’s defence is imperious at home and I see a 1-1 draw or a one goal win…either way. 

   

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