The Emirates Stadium will be on fire tonight as Arsenal host Atlético Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final.
After a strong and tactical first encounter in Madrid, everything remains open and a ticket to the grand final in Budapest is still up for grabs.
At "Metropolitano", the teams played to a draw, 1:1, in a game that was not at all pretty to look at, writes "Gazeta Express".
The team led by Mikel Arteta aims to take advantage of their home field advantage and good form at home.
"We know how difficult it will be. Atletico are a team that never gives up, but we have faith in our way of playing and in our fans," Arteta said.
On the other hand, Diego Simeone's Madrid team remains one of the most dangerous teams in Europe in such matches.
"These are the challenges we like. We have to be perfect in every detail. One moment can decide everything," the Argentine coach declared.
"We have to be patient and intelligent. We can't attack mindlessly against a team like Atletico," Arteta stressed.
Simeone added: "In these matches, character is as important as quality."
Arsenal have been impressive in this edition of the Champions League, scoring over 2 goals on average per match and winning the majority of their home matches.
This challenge is expected to be a fierce clash between different philosophies: Arsenal's fast and attacking play against Atletico Madrid's tactical discipline and deadly counterattack.
An interesting statistic is that Atletico have progressed more than half of the times they have played the second leg away in the knockout stages,
Arsenal have a very strong record at the Emirates this season.
Arsenal have won five of their last six games at the Emirates in the Champions League this season, averaging 2.3 goals per game.
On the other hand, Diego Simeone's team has only conceded 4 goals in 8 matches in the knockout stage, being one of the strongest defenses in the competition.
Atletico Madrid have reached the Champions League semi-finals several times in the last two decades, while for Arsenal this is one of the most important returns to this stage in many years.
With a place in the grand final on the horizon, the pressure and emotions are at their peak.
Fans are expecting an unforgettable night, as both teams will give their all to make history.
In the end, as is often the case in the Champions League, the small details will make the difference.
And tonight, in London, in the match that will start at 21:00 PM, one of the two giants will take the big step towards European glory. /Express newspaper
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