UEL SF 1st Leg: Arsenal v Atletico Madrid | April 26, 2018 20:05 BST | BT Sport

[Brown Gooner]

Madrid Derby in the UEFA Supercup this year in Tallinn.

 

[elemoo]

I arrived in Berlin from Krakow today and while i was in a packed sports bar for the Bayern/Real game, the bar staff told me it's gonna be rammed full of Arsenal fans tmr, so guess i'll be heading back there. Didn't realise so many folk here were gooners, but apparently it's the 'English team most prefer'

Can't see how we'd be able to win tbh, mostly bcos it would require everyone to play above their current level (think Özil is the only 1 that would get into their team)... the only chance is if they don't get out of 1st gear and and hope they make mistakes for us to get an early goal. Fingers crossed that's the case. Will go crazy if we can pull of a shock win!

 

[ArtetaCognition]

Anyone else switching between:

'they'll give it their all for Wenger' optimism and 'We have been **** all season against any half-decent side and are going to get trashed' ?

Just can't predict what Arsenal we'll get.

We will get Arsenal - a tactically naive side that will be easily disposed of over two legs by a wily defensive side with a superior manager.

Football isn't fairytale.

Yes, I am trying to talk them into a performance.

 

[serenitynow]

Can't remember being this nervous for a game since the FA Cup Final last season.
Hope the lads do the job for Arsène's last ever home European game!

 

[scytheavatar]

Anyone else switching between:

'they'll give it their all for Wenger' optimism and 'We have been **** all season against any half-decent side and are going to get trashed' ?

Just can't predict what Arsenal we'll get.

We are going to lose, the key is the lost of Elneny. Without him dropping deep to defense we have little chance of surviving the Atletico counter attack onslaught. And when we lose we have no one to blame but Wenger for putting us in the situation where Elneny has become our best midfielder.

 

[Pat Rice]

People seriously listing Kolasinac in their starting XI, this is an EL semi-final not a pre-season friendly vs Barnet ffs.

I too hope it's 3 at the back though.

Cech
Chambers Mustafi Koscielny
Bellerin Xhaka Ramsey Monreal
Özil Welbeck
Lacazette​

Unfortunately you have listed a player in the centre of defence who has cost us on an almost gamely basis throughout the season, which kind of ruins your dig at Kolasinac.

I’d rather have a liability that’s not in the most crucial position on the pitch.

 

[Mark Tobias]

Unfortunately you have listed a player in the centre of defence who has cost us on an almost gamely basis throughout the season, which kind of ruins your dig at Kolasinac.

I’d rather have a liability that’s not in the most crucial position on the pitch.

Agreed. A team with a spine can operate with weak links.

 

[Trilly]

We will get Arsenal - a tactically naive side that will be easily disposed of over two legs by a wily defensive side with a superior manager.

Football isn't fairytale.

Yes, I am trying to talk them into a performance.

We are going to lose, the key is the lost of Elneny. Without him dropping deep to defense we have little chance of surviving the Atletico counter attack onslaught. And when we lose we have no one to blame but Wenger for putting us in the situation where Elneny has become our best midfielder.

It is quite damning how the loss of Elneny is problematic. Hoping for a big game from AMN but I expect Wenger to try something else.

 

[Sapient Hawk]

It is quite damning how the loss of Elneny is problematic. Hoping for a big game from AMN but I expect Wenger to try something else.

Alternatively, we could get Arsenal. A team with a severe case of Norman Bates-itis ( don't look it up yet as I still haven't submitted it to the Jounral Science ) that is constantly derided as shambolic defensively & decent going forward.

This team's greatest weapon: Unpredictability, underestimate us at your peril. Will some display their usual level of incompetence, certainly, but this will be overshadowed by those who will appreciate the twofold weight of this game, a clear path to European glory & a beloved send off to a man MOST if not all, owe their careers to.

I'd be thrilled with a Liverpool -Roma scoreline but fear it unfeasible as I've yet to hear of Atletico conceding 5 in a single match.

 

[GDeep™]

Will be a close game. Sure we’ll put something on a plate for Griezmann to gobble up.

I’ll go 2-1 to Atletico.

 

[Ricardinho]

Will be Villarreal of the 05/06 run all over again, with Griezz missing the last minute penno over there.

 

[Hunta]

Had a look at comparing the teams, only Ramsey and Özil get in theirs.

We're miles off the top.

 

[A_G]

Madrid Derby in the UEFA Supercup this year in Tallinn.

Not sure how I feel about a Bayern fan always having digs at Arsenal's European record.

 

[tap-in]

I'm really looking forward to this, hope the team play at their highest level. The defenders are going to have to be careful of Costa, he'll be doing his best to get them a red. Mustafi worries me! Do I think we're win? I think narrow win or draw.

 

[Ashybashy86]

Not sure how I feel about a Bayern fan always having digs at Arsenal's European record.

Tbf, they won their 5th CL just 5 years ago. We're still waiting for 1.

 

[bingobob]

Excited for this. Been dying for us to get into the Europa for along time now. At the business end of a European competiton and I fully expect us to deliver. We've went past Chelsea and City in domestic semis I see no reason to fear A. Madrid. The main thing is to keep a clean sheet nick a goal or two and put the pressure on them in the next leg. #Coyg!

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Pretty excited about this I hope our players do show some passion and play well for once against top European side

 

[ThlRama]

Whatever. But to claim he doesn't know about tactics in modern football isn't extreme?

Pretty ridiculous statement.

Our last successful implementation of counter-tactics against "modern" tactics, well-implemented by a manager in a good shape, was our 0-1 away win at Dortmund. That was four-and-a-half years ago. Since then, our only showings that had (actually seemed to have) any decent amount of tactical awareness were against Conte's Chelsea. But Conte, for whatever reason, has a very bad record against Wenger. We can safely say that it is the very nature of the match-up, just like when Wenger played Ferguson or Mourinho during the past decade. Every strategic approach has a weakness that some other strategic approaches will always manage to expose; this sums up Wenger's success against Conte for me, which makes it of a non-tactical nature. Wenger didn't do anything particular, be it proactive or reactive; Conte's approach is just not very effective against Wengerball.

Since that game against Dortmund, which was great, can you name one tactical masterclass by Wenger?

 

[Tosker]

wrong thread for the bashing/defending Wenger stuff

can't see us keeping a clean sheet, but can see us scoring away, so unless we're hammered at home I can see the suspense going beyond tonight

 

[Hunta]

Mustafi and Xhaka need to just lump it towards Wele if there is no option open tonight.

Can’t gift chances to these lot, route one will do.