Two agonizing decades of waiting are over – and Kai Havertz is now very close to lifting the coveted Champions League trophy.
FC Arsenal has fought its way back to the Champions League final for the first time since 2006. The Gunners broke through Atlético Madrid’s defensive stronghold with a 1-0 (1-0) victory in the second leg of their semi-final match, and they can continue to dream of their first-ever triumph in Europe’s premier club competition.
However, the greatest challenge awaits them in the final. In Budapest on May 30th, the undefeated team, including Havertz, will face either Bayern Munich or last year’s winners, Paris Saint-Germain. After a 1-1 draw in Madrid the previous week, Bukayo Saka (45th minute) sent the Londoners to the final for the second time. Atlético, under their coach Diego Simeone, was denied a third final appearance after reaching it in 2014 and 2016.
Havertz, who had previously fired FC Chelsea to Champions League victory in 2021 but had been plagued by injury problems recently, missed the first leg due to fitness issues and was back in the squad for this match, though he did not feature in the game.
Team manager Mikel Arteta had emphasized that Arsenal had been working towards this final chance for 20 years: «It’s in our hands.» On the eve of the match, fans even set off fireworks near the Atlético hotel in an attempt to disrupt the Spanish team’s sleep.
Arsenal Capitalizes on First Real Chance — Atlético Fails to Convert Their Only Opportunity
Despite the pre-match disturbance, the Atlético players appeared wide awake. While the visitors showed flashes of their direct counter-attacking style and posed occasional offensive threats, Arsenal struggled to break down the Rojiblancos’ renowned defense.
In the group stage, Atlético had suffered a heavy 0-4 defeat in North London. This time, they had changed hotels, perhaps out of superstition? «No, no,» assured Simeone, adding with a wink that the new accommodation was «simply cheaper.»
It seemed to work – at least until just before halftime. Arsenal created very few chances and unsuccessfully appealed for a penalty after a slight push on Leandro Trossard from German referee Daniel Siebert (34th minute). However, they were soon celebrating. Saka tapped in the rebound after Jan Oblak made a strong save from a Trossard shot.
Arteta’s team, which is back on track for the league title thanks to a slip-up by Manchester City, nearly squandered their lead after the break. William Saliba inadvertently diverted the ball to Atlético’s Giuliano Simeone, who missed a golden opportunity (51st minute). For Arsenal, Viktor Gyökeres missed the chance to seal the victory (66th minute), paving the way for an intense final phase of the match.