All four remaining sides will feel they have the opportunity to advance heading into Thursday’s second leg of the Europa League semifinals.
Atletico Madrid have the advantage in their semifinal against Arsenal, as they held the Gunners to a 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium in last week’s first leg. Arsenal will now have to travel to the Wanda Metropolitano, where Atletico have only lost three times since they started playing in the stadium in September, and where they have not given up a single goal in 11 games.
Because Atletico will go through on away goals if the second leg is a scoreless draw, Arsenal will need to score to have any hope of advancing to the final. Outgoing Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger understands that his squad has a tall order in front of them, but believes his side can be the one that finally breaks through against Atletico in their building.
“The history has to stop somewhere,” Wenger said at a press conference. “That’s what we will try to do. We created chances in the first game and we will recreate exactly the same situation. We didn’t manage to put those chances in the net.”
Wenger Wants to Leave Arsenal on High Note
For Wenger, the game isn’t just about reaching a Europa League final, but also about finishing his long reign as Arsenal manager on the right note by keeping the club on the path to future success.
“It is a very, very big game for us because the future of Arsenal is not exactly the same if we qualify for the Champions League or not,” Wegner said. “I want to finish this love story well.”
Atletico will have to play the second leg without manager Diego Simeone, who was sent off during last week’s match. Simeone told reporters he isn’t thrilled about the idea of watching a critical match from the stands.
“I’m sad about the situation and the suspension,” he said. “I will have to improve and I best not say anything else.”
Oddsmakers are predicting that the hosts will be able to hold on even without their boss. At William Hill, Atletico Madrid is a 3/10 favorite to advance to the final, while Arsenal are 12/5 to go through.
Salzburg Hopes for Better Result at Home
In the other semifinal, Marseille will try to defend a 2-0 lead as they visit Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. While the result at the Stade Velodrome last week may have been deflating for Salzburg, manager Marco Rose believes his team doesn’t have to change much to stage a comeback in their stadium.
“I had the feeling in Marseille that we were physically stronger and could have got more,” Rose said. “We dominated the first leg for long stretches and actually had Marseille under control. It is definitely the case that things are possible for us in the second leg.”
The lack of an away goal could make things even harder for Salzburg, as giving up even one goal to Marseille at home will make their task much more difficult. Marseille (1/10) is a heavy favorite to go through, though an early goal for Salzburg (11/2) would put the hosts right back into contention.
The winners will meet in the Europa League final in Lyon on May 16. Atletico Madrid (8/11) is now a favorite over the field to win the competition, followed by Marseille (5/2), Arsenal (5/1), and Salzburg (12/1).