Arsenal 1-1 Atletico Madrid in Champions League Semifinal First Leg

Arsenal played out a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal on Wednesday night at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid. The result leaves the tie evenly poised ahead of the second leg next Tuesday at the Emirates Stadium, where the winner will advance to the final against either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich.

Mikel Arteta's side took the field without key attackers Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze in the starting lineup. Saka, returning from an Achilles injury that sidelined him for over a month, began on the bench alongside Eze, who had suffered a knock against Newcastle United. Noni Madueke started on the right wing, with Viktor Gyokeres leading the attack and Gabriel Martinelli on the left. In midfield, captain Martin Odegaard partnered Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi, while the defense featured David Raya in goal behind Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Piero Hincapie.

The match remained tight, with Odegaard substituted after 57 minutes for Eze. The Norwegian international, who has faced ongoing fitness issues including knee problems this season, received treatment at halftime. Norwegian broadcaster TV2 speculated...