While Arsenal may have reached a second consecutive semi-final for the first time in their history, it has not come without scepticism from across Europe.
A nervy 0-0 draw at the Emirates on Wednesday night was enough to see Arsenal through, with the tie settled by Kai Havertz’s stoppage-time winner at the Jose Alvalade Stadium in the first leg a week prior.
The result sets up a semi-final against Atletico Madrid, after Diego Simeone’s side edged past 10-man Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate despite a 2-1 defeat on the night.
After watching both matches, it appears journalists across the continent are backing Atletico to pip the Gunners to a place in the final, despite Arsenal having thrashed them 4-0 in the league phase in October.
Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyokeres were on the scoresheet that night, with the Swedish striker netting a brace to end a seven-game scoring drought.
That performance was a far cry from Wednesday’s tepid display, in which Arsenal failed to convert any of their 15 attempts on goal. Spanish outlet Marca reflected this in an article headlined: ‘Arsenal reach the semi-finals again… but they’re not the same team that thrashed Atletico in October.’
Adding: ‘They made the most of their 1-0 first-leg victory at the Alvalade against a Sporting CP side that exposed their weaknesses.’
In the same piece, writer Rodrigo Gonzalez Pascual said: ‘It wasn’t a stellar performance from the Gunners, and that’s becoming a habit. But they’re back in the semi-finals… before facing City in the Premier League final.’
French publication L’Equipewas similarly critical of the Premier League leaders’ drab display against Sporting, describing the side as ‘boring and toothless’.
‘Empty seats and absolute silence to celebrate qualification for the Champions League semi-finals: Arsenal, when boredom returns,’ read the headline in the Paris-based newspaper on Thursday morning.
‘Arsenal qualified for the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday against Sporting (0-0, 1-0 on aggregate) while offering almost nothing. The Gunners are in the final four for the second consecutive season, but they have become toothless and boring,’ it added.
‘The last English team in the Champions League is shaky and lacking fire at the moment, waiting for set pieces out of calculation and helplessness, since it no longer knows how to create much else, and it looks like a huge opportunity for Antoine Griezmann to return to the final just before leaving Atletico de Madrid,’ football journalist Vincent Duluc wrote.
‘Like last season, Arsenal are in the semi-finals, but the fever that accompanied it then never crossed the Emirates, numb with boredom and worry, which offered them an absolute and disapproving silence at half-time, and the spectacle of thousands of empty seats when the time came to celebrate qualification.’
Sporting boss Rui Borges appeared to share the view that his side had matched Arteta’s, claiming the Portuguese ‘Peugeot’ had matched the Premier League’s ‘Mercedes’.
‘I think in both games we were superior to Arsenal, they ended up being lucky with the goal at Alvalade and went through,’ the 44-year-old said at full-time.
‘We showed character in both games, in this extraordinary atmosphere, our fans were also extraordinary.
‘The Peugeot performed at the same level as the Mercedes. It was very good, above average. They deserved more for what they did in the two games. Luck or bad luck, I don’t pay much attention.’
Arsenal will travel to Atletico for the first leg on April 29 before hosting the return fixture at the Emirates on May 5. The winner will face either Bayern Munich or holders Paris Saint-Germain in the final in Budapest on May 30.
