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Atléti only failed to win one of their four league phase fixtures on home soil, a 1-0 loss to dark horses FK Bodø/Glimt on matchday eight.
That damaging defeat scuppered their chances of qualifying directly for the last sixteen stage, forcing Diego Simone’s men to negotiate the knockout phase playoffs.
They then overcame Belgian outfit Club Brugge via a 7-4 aggregate scoreline, before eliminating troubled Tottenham in another high-scoring encounter.
Los Colchoneros then prevailed in a thrilling quarter-final duel with fellow LaLiga giants Barcelona, who almost managed to recover a two-goal first-leg deficit.
Just over a month earlier, Atléti had knocked Barça out of the Copa del Rey in very similar circumstances.
After making a scintillating start to their campaign across both domestic and continental fronts, Arsenal have found the going much tougher in recent weeks.
The Gunners are now struggling to keep pace with Manchester City in the Premier League title race despite sitting ten points clear at the summit just over a month ago, while a handful of unconvincing Champions League performances have done nothing to relieve the current tension circulating around the Emirates.
Nevertheless, Arsenal should take comfort from the fact that they remain unbeaten in Europe this season. Eight fairly resounding league phase victories were followed by a 3-1 aggregate triumph over Bayer Leverkusen, but Sporting proved a much more difficult nut to crack.
The North Londoners earned a slender 1-0 win at the Estádio José Alvalade, before contesting a goalless draw in the capital.
Wednesday’s eagerly anticipated encounter at the Metropolitano will be shown exclusively live on TNT Sports, the United Kingdom’s main home of Champions League football.
Atlético Madrid v Arsenal – Key information
Date: Wednesday, 29th April
Kick-off time: 20:00 (BST)
Venue: Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid
Referee: TBC
VAR: TBC
TV Channels/Live stream: TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, HBO Max
Odds: Atlético Madrid: 7/4, Draw: 11/5, Arsenal: 13/8
Odds provided by bet365
Atlético Madrid team news
Having long since been discarded as LaLiga title contenders and still licking their wounds following a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat in the Copa del Rey final, Atlético Madrid are now exclusively focused on Europe.
That gives Diego Simeone license to throw caution to the wind as he bids to clinch an elusive first Champions League crown for the club. With question marks still hovering over the Argentinian’s future as he navigates his 15th year as Atléti boss, the success of this mission could ultimately define his legacy.
Fortunately, Simone almost has a full complement to choose from. Ademola Lookman and Alexander Sørloth sustained minor injuries in the aforementioned Copa del Rey clash, but both players are expected to be involved in some capacity on Wednesday evening.
Influential quartet Marcos Llorente, Matteo Ruggeri, Koke, and Julián Alvarez are all in contention after recovering from recent knocks.
Having only just managed to overcome a lurking hamstring issue, it appears as if Pablo Barrios is set for another stint on the sidelines.
The gifted midfielder returned to the starting XI for Atléti’s 3-2 triumph over Bilbao on Saturday, but limped off just before the hour mark.
José María Giménez is currently nursing a muscle strain, while defensive colleague Dávid Hancko sprained his ankle earlier this month.
It remains unclear as to who will start between the sticks, thanks to Juan Musso’s excellent form during the recent absence of Jan Oblak.
Although the Argentinian stopper served as an able deputy, Oblak’s big-game experience undoubtedly gives him the edge in the battle for the number one jersey.
Atlético Madrid predicted line-up v Arsenal (4-4-2)
Coach: Diego Simeone
Jan Oblak (GK); Nahuel Molina, Marc Pubill, Clément Lenglet, Matteo Ruggeri; Giuliano Simeone, Marcos Llorente, Koke, Nicolás González; Antoine Griezmann, Julián Alvarez
Arsenal team news
After staring down the barrel of a potential injury crisis, Mikel Arteta has thankfully seen a handful of first-team stars quickly return to a clean bill of health.
Noni Madueke, Piero Hincapié, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Leandro Trossard, Martín Zubimendi, and Declan Rice have all spent time on the treatment table of late, but all are now available for selection.
Although he was originally included in this extensive list of players, Eberechi Eze hobbled off early in the second half of Arsenal’s 1-0 triumph over Newcastle United after netting a stunning goal early on.
Kai Havertz was also withdrawn prematurely, with Arteta later confirming that both attackers had picked up ‘small niggles’
However, the Gunners are still waiting for several players to reach full match fitness. Bukayo Saka featured on Saturday evening for the first time since last month’s EFL Cup final defeat to Manchester City, having been suffering with an achilles tendon issue, while Jurrien Timber is not quite yet over a mild groin strain.
Although he’s back on the training pitch, Riccardo Calafiori has missed each of Arsenal’s last four fixtures and therefore may not travel to Spain.
Meanwhile, skipper Martin Ødegaard will be hoping his injury woes are behind him, having endured a stop-start season to press. The Norwegian midfielder has dealt with no less than three knee complaints over the last six months, after hurting his shoulder during the opening weeks of the campaign.
Arsenal predicted line-up v Atlético Madrid (4-3-3)
Coach: Mikel Arteta
David Raya (GK); Cristhian Mosquera, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Piero Hincapié; Martin Ødegaard, Martín Zubimendi, Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
The TNT Sports cameras will be at the Metropolitano on Wednesday night, with live coverage commencing an hour before a 20:00 (BST) kick-off.
All those who subscribe to the network can catch the action on TNT Sports 1, but customers with a premium entertainment package should tune into TNT Sports Ultimate, where they can access UltraHD pictures and Dolby Atmos surround-sound.
At the end of March, HBO Max replaced Discovery+ as the official streaming partner of TNT Sports. As both platforms are subsidiaries of the Warner Bros. enterprise, customers with a Discovery+ account can access HBO Max free of charge. To do this, they just need to enter their existing Discovery+ login details into the HBO Max app or website.
Head-to-Head record
This will only be the fourth meeting between these two sides in European competition, but the second of the current season.
Atlético Madrid suffered their joint-heaviest Champions League defeat when they visited the Emirates last October, as Arsenal inflicted a 4-0 hammering thanks to Gabriel Magalhães’ header, Gabriel Martinelli’s sublime finish, and a quick-fire brace from Viktor Gyökeres.
Whether playing at the Vicente Calderón or the Metropolitano, Atléti have never lost a Champions League knockout tie against an English opponent in the Spanish capital.
No less than six different Premier League clubs have been unable to secure a victory at the home of Los Rojiblancos, with Chelsea, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur all failing to come out on top.
Atlético Madrid v Arsenal – Match Result odds
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.