Atletico Madrid are due to host Arsenal at the Wanda Metropolitano in the second leg of the of Europa League semi-final. The first leg at the Emirates Stadium ended in a 1-1 draw and thus, the Spanish giants have the upper hand in the upcoming fixture.
The Gunners were certainly the better side when they last met but were not clinical enough to capitalise on their superiority. Given that Arsene Wenger is set to quit the North London based outfit at the end of the season, the Arsenal players must strive to give Wenger a befitting farewell.
Here are three key battles that can potentially dictate the outcome of the game.
Jan Oblak vs Alexandre Lacazette
Arsenal striker, Alexandre Lacazette, is in sublime form. The French international has found the back of the net on seven occasions in April and he finally looks settled in his new club.
Jan Oblak kept Diego Simeone’s side in the game in the first leg coming up with stupendous saves time and again. He is unarguably one of the best custodians in the game at the moment and it would be interesting to see how Lacazette fares against Oblak.
Diego Costa vs Laurent Koscielny
When Diego Costa was at Chelsea, he cultivated a bitter rivalry against Laurent Koscielny and these two have had a gruesome mini-history. And to add to this, the manner of Costa’s exit from England will also be playing on his mind and a match-winning display will go a long way in shutting down his critics.
Costa is expected to start against his old foes and he would be craving to make his presence felt. Meanwhile, Koscielny’s error proved to be costly for the Gunners in the first leg and a lot would rely on how the central defender fares against the Atletico Madrid attackers.
Gabi vs Mesut Ozil
Arsenal maestro, Mesut Ozil, needs to step up against the Red and Whites as his passes, creativity and skills are going to be really important for his club. On his day, he has the potential to wreak havoc on the entire defence of Atletico Madrid and the Gunners need the German playmaker to fire.
But Gabi is expected to sit deep in midfield to track Ozil’s runs and has to deal with his attacking endeavours in a meticulous fashion to help his side in paving their way to Lyon.