Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid highlights: Arsenal books tickets to Champions League final for second time via Saka's goal

Leaving you with the celebration photos of Arsenal from the ground. 

Congratulations to all the Arsenal fans all over the world. Is it finally happening for them? Well, we will have to wait a bit to know. Until then, let's wait and watch.

Thank you for staying with us throughout the coverage. I hope you loved it. We will see you in the second leg of Bayern Munich vs PSG semi-final tomorrow. 

Only eight teams have won the domestic league and the Champions League in the same season. 

• FC Barcelona
• Real Madrid
• Bayern Munich
• FC Porto
• Manchester United
• Inter Milan
• Marseille

 "It's so beautiful, you can see what it means to us, what it means to the fans. We're all so happy."

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last ten UEFA matches against Spanish opposition (W8 D2).

Arsenal are heading to Budapest for the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 final.

For the second time in their history, they will feature in a Champions League final. They were the better team across both legs, and it is Bukayo Saka's lone goal that has taken them to the final. 

Atletico gave their all, but they were not able to produce enough chances, except for the one for Simeone. 

Arsenal will now face either PSG or FC Bayern Munich in the final.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINALISTS ❤️ pic.twitter.com/uDfQQqQCWZ

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 5, 2026

Yellow card for Koke and Calafiori (who is on the bench)

Looks like Mikel Arteta received a yellow card for dissent. 

As Molina could not control the ball and it went for a goal-kick, the camera panned to an Atletico fan girl in tears. Seconds later, we see the Arsenal fans jumping in joy. 

Huge, huge five minutes for both teams.

After a long buildup, he wanted to take a chance with a long-range shot. His shot went over the goal and released the pressure on Arsenal. 

Great chance for Sorloth as he received the cutback at the centre of the box. But the ball was cleared by White after he missed his first touch. 

Rice delivered a long corner and Gabriel could not get enough on the header at the far post. 

Martinelli replaces Trossard, whose attempt had resulted in the goal Saka scored. 

Yellow card for Pubill for a foul on Gyokeres.

Raya has brought out his A game in the crunch moment. He first saved a dangerous cross from the right and then saved a timid attempt from Llorente.

10 mins + stoppage to go at the Emirates 🔥
Arsenal 1-0 Atletico (2-1 agg)
Saka’s strike is keeping us in front. Hold firm boys, we’re so close! Come on Arsenal! 💪🔴⚪️#AFC #UCL pic.twitter.com/LnxtORolsz

— Sports Lauge (@ExotiC20000) May 5, 2026

Long cross from left as Atletico look for Sorloth in the middle. 

But Raya came out and jumped over the striker to grab the ball. 

They are looking to wait and build up before making the final move. But the time is ticking away for them.

Baena's attempted cross has been deflected away for a corner by White. 

With his mom watching from the box, Lewis-Skelly leaves the ground with a standing ovation from the fans.

He has been replaced by Zubimendi. 

Lewis-Skelly is down and looks like will be replaced by Zubimendi.

Arsenal have been on the mark in the last few minutes. Hincapie, Gyokeres, and White have produced chances and are looking like the team dictating terms. 

Hincapie's long cross from the left found Gyokeres at the centre of the box.

He just could not hit the target with his side-footed shot. 

Almada and Baena replaced Alvarez and Griezmann. A fresh attack for Atletico. 

Might be his first touch of the night. The Arsenal captain went for a left-footed attempt from the edge of the box.

But it went over the goal. 

Hincapie, Odegaard, and Madueke replaced Calafiori, Eze and Saka respectively. 

Sorloth, Molina and Cardoso came in for Le Normand, Lookman and Simeone. 

Griezmann's shot from the edge of the box is saved by Raya. 

Gabriellllll pic.twitter.com/Kvt7PPbuIN

— ★ (@sivvlp) May 5, 2026

He is now preparing his subs. 

Really great waited run from Simeone. Saliba wanted to head towards Raya, but Simeone got to it first. 

Gabriel came to the rescue from behind to win the ball after a close challenge. 

No penalty says the referee as the ball went for a corner. 

The Spaniard should have gotten a yellow card as he held on to Trossard from behind and brought him down. 

The foul by Le Normand breaks the rhythm they were looking to build.

Long cross from right to left, then a cutback, and an attempt from Lookman. But everything got wasted after the foul. 

Arsenal get the second half underway.

Bukayo Saka (2024/25 & 2025/26) is only the fourth English player to score in two different UEFA Champions League semi-final ties, after Wayne Rooney (2006/07 & 2010/11), Frank Lampard (2003/04 & 2007/08) and Harry Kane (2023/24 & 2025/26).

Welcome back from the break! 

Arsenal looked like the better team on the pitch. In fact, they were the hungrier of the two and made good transitions from defence to attack, which resulted in a goal. 

An important lead for them going into the second half. Atletico Madrid will have to step it up in the final third, if they want to stay alive in the game! 

See you after the break! 

A goal to the good in N5 as we hit the halfway stage.

Let's keep upping the ante, Gunners ✊ pic.twitter.com/7SepsLmGya

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 5, 2026

Arsenal strike at the stroke of half-time. 

A diving Oblak partially saved Trossard's attempt from the left of the box. Saka was at the right place at the right time to tap the rebound ball into the goal.

Is this the most important goal of his career? Only time will tell. 

Another decisive interception from Ruggeri. 

Saka's cutback found White, whose low pass found Eze on the edge of the box.

However, just before Eze lined himself up for a shot, Ruggeri deflected the ball back to Oblak. 

In a close game like this, every single battle matters. And, for someone who might be playing his final Champions League game, it is now or never.

After conceding a corner last time against Rice, the French striker won the battle with Gyokeres this time, partnering with Le Normand. 

Half hour into the semifinal in London 👊 pic.twitter.com/9hBH0GnlOJ

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) May 5, 2026

Le Normand and Gyokeres get the warning from the referee as they both hung on to each other. You would not want make any mistake which can lead to an end of the Champions League dream, for both the sides. 

A VAR check was done for a potential penalty after Trossard went down post a challenge from Griezmann. Then Rice's shot also hit Hancko's shoulders. 

Not just the players, but fans wait for their moments in big games like this. Atletico Madrid fans are now making sure they are giving fight to Arsenal's Gunners. 

Another counterattack resulted in a half-chance for the visitors as we crossed the half-hour mark. 

Rather than shooting from the edge of the box, Griezmann looked for Llorente, who was adjudged offside.

However, the replay showed that the midfielder was onside by a few inches, though. 

Do not know what Oblak was trying to do. But a high press attack from Eze nearlly forced an error from the goalkeeper.

Fantastic from the English midfielder. 

A great run on the left, dribbled past Griezmann, nearly brought in a foul, and then went for the classic cutback from the byline.

However, the cutback was deflected away for a corner before it could reach Calafiori. 

Rice wanted to just get a touch on the ball and rushed from behind in the midfield. 

However, his challenge was not fair as Atletico won the free-kick. 

Important interception from Griezmann.

Ben White found Saka on the right with a threading pass. Saka's dangerous cutback almost found Gyokeres in the middle of the box.

However, Griezmann's interception, followed by an off-target shot from Gabriel, negated the threat.

A long corner from Rice found Saka at the far post. However, the winger could not connect the volley properply to hit the target. 

How many times have they converted from a corner? Gyokeres wins the corner as Le Normand deflected the ball from the left. 

After Arsenal came out running in the first few minutes, Atletico have done well to squeeze things up and create movements betwen the spaces. 

Griezmann with the tight cross from the byline on the right, and Raya just stuck his hand out low as Llorente wanted to go for a touch.

Simeone wanted to go for a shot in the rebound, but his shot was blocked by Rice.

The 19-year-old left back has been placed as a midfielder, just like in their last match against Fulham. He will be under pressure as this Atletico team is far, far better than Fulham. 

Long ball from Raya, out on the right. Then Saka and Rice played among themselves before Calafiori went for an audacious attempt from outside the box. 

He missed the target by a long. 

This is how they would look to create chances - via counterattacks. 

Griezmann found Simeone on the right. He made a quick run on the right with the ball, but it was Julian Alvarez's off-the-ball run made nearly turned the half chance to a goal. 

Alvarez's attempt went wide, though. 

Griezmann fouls Eze, though he had won the ball there and kicked it. As he got closer to a yellow, he quickly appologised and got away with it. 

I have not heard a noisier crowd at the Emirates before this in my six years covering the game. 

This is electrifying. Every pass, every interception is getting cheered on as Trossard won the ball from Pubill in Atletico's final third. 

English players with the most UEFA Champions League appearances as a teenager:

1. 23 Jude Bellingham
2. 19 Myles Lewis-Skelly (including tonight)
3. 17 Theo Walcott

The first few minutes would set the tone for the rest of the game. And Arsenal know that with the fans behind them, they need to make this count.

Saka, Gyokeres have already linked up and Saka enforced a foul as well. 

Atletico Madrid get us underway in their blue kit. 

We are done with the handshakes, anthems and all the other stuff! 

Business time! 

Locker room set. pic.twitter.com/nlQ7kYatKK

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) May 5, 2026

BRINGING THE ENERGY. pic.twitter.com/DMNO3o6bCS

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 5, 2026

XI: Oblak, Pubill, Hancko, Le Normand, Ruggeri, Simeone, Llorente, Koke, Lookman, Griezmann, Alvarez.

Subs: Musso, Esquivel, Molina, Bonar, Gimenez, Lenglet, Diaz, Vargas, Cardoso, Baena, Mendoza, Almada, Sorloth.

XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Rice, Eze, Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres.

Subs: Arrizabalaga, Setford, Hincapie, Mosquera, Zubimendi, Norgaard, Odegaard, Madueke, Martinelli, Dowman, Havertz, Jesus.

The story was a bit different for Atletico Madrid, though.

After finishing 14th in the group stage, they defeated Club Brugge 7-4 on aggregate in the playoffs.

Then they eliminated Tottenham Hotspur by 7-5 in the round of 16 and then Barcelona 3-2 in an all-Spanish quarter-final.

Arsenal became the first team to win all of the eight games in the group stage and then defeated Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 on aggregate in the round of 16 before eliminating Sporting CP in the quarters by 1-0.

The contest between the two sides has been fairly even so far. 

In the four matches across the competitions they have played against each other, one game has been won by each team. Two games ended in a draw. 

In the Champions League, the scene is a bit different, though, as this is only the third time they will be facing each other in the tournament. Interestingly, both the previous games took place in this season only.

Arsenal have previously defeated Atletico Madrid by 4-0 at Emirates, and the other match at Metropolitano has ended in a draw. 

Football fans from India can watch the match on Sony Sports Network TV Channels. They can also stream the match LIVE on the SonyLIV app and website with a paid subscription. 

You can also follow the match on our blog as well.

Match: Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid UEFA Champions League 2025/26, Semi-finals, 2nd Leg.

Date: 6 May, 2026

Time: 12.30 am IST

Venue: Emirates Stadium, London.