Simeone Attributes Atletico's Draw with Arsenal to Finishing, Not Luck

Diego Simeone has dismissed the notion that bad luck was responsible for Atletico Madrid's 1-1 draw against Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, instead pointing to a lack of clinical finishing.

The match at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano saw both teams score from penalties, with Julian Alvarez converting for Atletico after Viktor Gyokeres had earlier netted for Arsenal. This marked the first Champions League knockout game since the 2001 final (Bayern Munich 1-1 Valencia) where all goals came from spot-kicks.

Atletico registered an expected goals (xG) of 2.2, the second-highest against Arsenal in any competition this season, trailing only Aston Villa's 2.5 in a Premier League clash in December 2025. Antoine Griezmann struck the woodwork and had another attempt blocked by Gabriel Magalhaes, while Ademola Lookman fired straight at goalkeeper David Raya after beating Ben White.

When questioned whether luck played a role in Atletico's missed opportunities, Simeone replied, "I don’t believe in that kind of luck; I believe in clinical finishing. The first half was even—perhaps they had more possession, but there were few clear chances for either side. They’re very good; they haven’t lost a Champions League match, they’re top of the Premier League, and their substitutes made an impact. Everything led to a strong second half where we had chances to win, but we weren’t clinical enough."

Arsenal (57) and Atletico (55) have played the most matches among Europe’s top-five leagues this season. The two sides previously met at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal secured a 4-0 league victory. However, Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak emphasized that the result would not affect their approach to the second leg.

"It was an intense game from both sides," Oblak told TNT Sports. "We aimed for a win, but at 1-1, everything will be decided in London. We won’t dwell on the 4-0 loss earlier. It will be a different game, and we’ll give everything to advance. We’re not thinking about the trophy yet—first, we must focus on the second leg. Arsenal also want to win the Champions League, so we have to overcome them first."