Julian Alvarez’s penalty secured Atletico Madrid a 1-1 draw against Arsenal in a nervy Champions League semi-final first leg clash on Wednesday.

Viktor Gyokeres sent the Premier League leaders ahead from the spot just before the interval after he was fouled, but Alvarez followed suit 10 minutes into the second half after Ben White’s handball.

Arsenal were upset at a late penalty decision being overturned following a VAR review when David Hancko made contact with Eberechi Eze in the area.

Atletico had the better of it for long periods, but Arsenal’s solid defending helped them leave the Spanish capital in a good position to return to the Champions League final 20 years after their last appearance.

What the game lacked in the dizzying goal rush of Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-4 win over Bayern Munich in the other semi-final the night before, it was replaced with tension and a desperation not to fall behind.

Toilet paper rained down from the stands of the Metropolitano stadium minutes before kick-off, in a striking — if wasteful — display, which invited cynical jokes from some quarters about the calibre of the spectacle ahead.

In a tussle between arguably the continent’s two biggest teams never to lay a finger on the trophy neither wanted to blink first.

Atletico still have an outdated defensive reputation but pinned Mikel Arteta’s miserly Arsenal back in the early stages, with David Raya tipping Alvarez’s shot around the post.

The Gunners, a long way from Arteta’s eve-of-the-game demand, dominate proceedings, looked to smash and grab, with Marc Pubill blocking from Martin Odegaard on a quick breakaway.

Noni Madueke, starting on Arsenal’s right flank with Bukayo Saka only fit for the bench, hammered just wide from distance as last year’s beaten semi-finalists sporadically emerged from their half.

The next time they did, Gyokeres won a penalty. The Swedish striker, who might not have started if Kai Havertz was fit, exchanged passes with Martin Zubimendi, and Hancko clumsily shoved him in the back from behind.

Diego Simeone and Atletico veteran Antoine Griezmann begged for the decision to be reviewed but VAR saw no reason to intervene.

Gyokeres took the spot-kick himself, walloping it past Jan Oblak, who dived the right way but stood no chance of keeping it out.

Three-time runners-up Atletico, back in the semi-finals for the first time in nine years, came out guns blazing in the second half.

Raya saved Ademola Lookman’s drive with Gabriel blocking Griezmann’s follow-up.

The hosts pulled level from the penalty spot after White handled Marcos Llorente’s shot, the ball bouncing up and hitting his arm, which was away from his body.

Alvarez took it, and having missed in Atletico’s Copa del Rey final shoot-out defeat earlier in April, this time made no mistake with an unforgiving blast rivalling Gyokeres’s first-half effort.

MLS-bound Griezmann looped a shot off the crossbar and then sent the rebound off target as Atletico turned the screw in pursuit of an advantage to take into next Tuesday’s second leg.

Nigeria international Lookman twice came close and could end up ruing his missed chances.

Arsenal thought they had won a second penalty when substitute Eze went down under a sluggish Hancko challenge, but the referee changed his mind after a VAR review, deciding the Slovakian defender’s contact was minimal.

Arsenal next take on Fulham as they continue their battle with Manchester City for the Premier League title. At the same time, with little to play for in La Liga, Simeone will rotate heavily before this tie is decided in London.

-AFP

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Manchester United’s 2-1 win over Brentford on Monday put them on the brink of Champions League qualification, but interim manager Michael ​Carrick said they must keep pushing to finish as ‌high up the Premier League table as possible.

The victory lifted United to third place on 61 points, 11 clear of sixth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion, ​with four games remaining.

With the top five qualifying for the ​Champions League next season, United need two more points ⁠to seal their return to Europe’s elite competition after a ​two-year absence.

“The Champions League is one thing, but it’s not something ​that we should be over-celebrating either,” former United midfielder Carrick told reporters.

“We want to be finishing high up the league really, and we want to ​be challenging high up in the league and trying to ​get more points so our season doesn’t get to a close when that ‌happens.

“We ⁠have put ourselves in a good position, but there’s still more work to be done,” added Carrick, who took charge in January with United in sixth spot after Ruben Amorim’s dismissal.

Casemiro was on ​the scoresheet on ​Monday, and while ⁠supporters have called on the club to keep him for another year, Carrick said the midfielder’s ​situation was clear.

“From both sides, it’s pretty clear. ​Probably the ⁠situation and the clarity of it have helped everything,” he added.

“It means a lot to him and credit to him because of ⁠the ​situation that it is, he’s given absolutely ​everything as well and had some big moments for us.”

United next face fourth-placed Liverpool ​on Sunday.

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Nigeria international Ademola Lookman emerged as the hero as Atletico Madrid survived a fierce Barcelona comeback to seal a place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time in nine years.

Despite a tense 2-1 defeat on the night at the Metropolitano, Atletico progressed 3-2 on aggregate, with Lookman’s crucial first-half strike proving decisive in a dramatic encounter that had fans on edge until the final whistle.

Barcelona stormed out of the blocks, erasing Atletico’s 2-0 first-leg advantage with two quick goals in the opening half-hour. Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the fourth minute after capitalising on a defensive error, before Ferran Torres doubled the lead in the 24th minute with a clinical finish to level the tie on aggregate.

However, just as the momentum appeared firmly with the Spanish giants, Lookman stepped up to deliver a moment of quality that would ultimately define the tie.

In the 31st minute, Marcos Llorente surged down the right flank and whipped in a low cross to the far post, where the Nigerian forward showed sharp anticipation and pace to beat his marker before calmly slotting home. The goal restored Atletico’s aggregate lead and shifted the psychological balance back in favour of Diego Simeone’s men.

Barcelona dominated possession in the second half, with midfielders Pedri and Gavi pulling the strings, but Atletico’s resilience held firm under sustained pressure. The visitors’ hopes suffered a major setback late on when defender Eric Garcia was sent off following a VAR review for a last-man challenge, reducing Barcelona to 10 men.

Despite continued pressure and a disallowed goal for offside, Barcelona could not find the decisive breakthrough, allowing Atletico to cling on and book a semi-final clash against either Arsenal or Sporting.

For Nigerian football followers, the night belonged to Lookman, whose decisive contribution once again underlined his growing influence on Europe’s biggest stage. His goal not only propelled Atletico into the last four but also reinforced his status as one of Nigeria’s most impactful exports in elite club football.

Atletico may have been beaten on the night, but thanks to Lookman’s heroics, they march on—battle-tested and within touching distance of European glory.

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