Jamie Carragher has revealed his prediction for Arsenal's Champions League semi-final second leg clash against Atletico Madrid. The Premier League leaders welcome the La Liga giants to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night aiming to advance to the Champions League final.
First Leg Recap
The semi-final tie is perfectly poised after Arsenal earned a 1-1 draw in Madrid last week. Viktor Gyokeres scored a first-half penalty to put the Gunners ahead, but Mikel Arteta's side were pegged back when Julian Alvarez also converted from the spot after half-time. Arsenal may have taken a 1-1 draw before the game but left Madrid frustrated after having a late penalty controversially overturned by VAR.
Carragher's Verdict
That was seen as a potentially pivotal moment in the tie, but Carragher does not expect it to prevent Arsenal from reaching the Champions League final. 'I think Arsenal will get through,' the Liverpool legend, who won the Champions League in 2005, said on The Gary Neville podcast. 'I think they're a better team than Atletico Madrid. I don't think Atletico are that good if I'm being honest. Even in the first leg, there was a 20-minute period when Atletico were on top but either side of that Arsenal were in control of the game.'
Carragher highlighted a tactical change that has benefited Arsenal: 'I think the big thing Arsenal have done in the last couple of games is put Declan Rice a little bit deeper and I think that's had a big impact. I thought he played well against Atletico, showed real authority, and was excellent at the weekend against Fulham. I've been worried about that midfield, we've highlighted that a lot recently, but there's been a little change there and it helped.'
Arsenal's Recent Form
Arsenal followed up their draw in Madrid with an emphatic 3-0 win over Fulham, opening up a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League. Arteta's side felt in danger of missing out on all four trophies just a few weeks ago, but Gary Neville believes Arsenal are back 'in a good place'. 'To go to Madrid and play as well as they did will have given Arsenal a lot of confidence,' the former Manchester United and England defender said. 'I didn't think they would get done over at Atletico but they can make it horrible for you. That was my fear for Arsenal going into that game. But they played well and Bukayo Saka coming back was massive so they're in a good place.'
Looking Ahead
The winner of this Champions League semi-final will face either Bayern Munich or holders PSG in the final on May 30. Arsenal will be hoping to reach their first Champions League final since 2006, while Atletico Madrid aim to return to the final after their 2014 and 2016 appearances.
