Arsenal face Atletico Madrid in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg, with the La Liga side hoping to continue their impressive home record
Arsenal expect problems with pitch at Metropolitano Stadium
Arsenal are preparing for a new pitch battle against Atletico Madrid.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta has made his home a fortress this season as the Spanish giants face Atletico in a tough semi-final on Wednesday night.
Tottenham complained that large amounts of water were sprinkled on the pitch before their last-16 clash in March, causing players to slip on the wet surface. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said before the quarter-finals that the grass was too long and he would not try to delay the match.
Atlético’s underdog status will be a real concern for Arsenal ahead of a draw in the semi-finals, but the 70,000-capacity Metropolitano Stadium could be a huge asset. The crowd will be passionate and lively, although coach Diego Simeone has plenty of experience of making things difficult for opponents.
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UEFA has strict rules regarding the condition of pitches, which state that “the home club must make every reasonable effort to ensure that the pitch is in the best possible condition” and will be subject to rigorous inspections before matches.
UEFA’s Article 34 also states: “The home club must respect the pitch cutting guidelines for natural grass pitches. The grass height must not exceed 30mm and the entire playing surface must be cut to the same height.”
“The grass height should be the same for both training sessions and matches. If the referee or the UEFA match representative deems it necessary, the home club may be required to reduce the grass height for matches and training sessions.”
“The pitch watering schedule must be communicated by the home club at an organizational meeting. The pitch must be watered evenly and not just in specific areas.”
Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinski suffered a nightmare on the pitch and claimed Spurs had sprayed him with too much water (Image: Alberto Gardin/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
“As a general rule, water supply to the pitch must end 60 minutes before kick-off. However, at the home club’s decision, water supply to the pitch may also occur between 10 and 5 minutes before kick-off and/or during half-time, for up to 5 minutes and thereafter.”
It is believed that this will allow Atletico to flood the pitch just before kick-off, so Arsenal will no doubt be keeping an eye on what happens.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are waiting for defender Julian Timber to return to fitness. The Dutch defender has missed a significant amount of time for the Gunners due to a groin injury and is yet to increase his training level.
However, Timber has done some work and there is hope that he will be able to kick on and take part in the run-in, even if his continued absence is a concern for both Arsenal and the Netherlands ahead of the World Cup.
Manager Ebelesi Eze insists his health will recover after the injury he suffered against Newcastle, but while Kai Havertz is likely to be out for a long period of time, he is not expected to be seriously sacked.
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