Atletico Madrid have lodged a complaint with UEFA after fireworks were set off outside their hotel early on Tuesday ahead of their Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal. According to reports in Spain, Atlético immediately reported their dissatisfaction over the incident to UEFA.
He added that despite the hotel’s convenient location, there were growing concerns that those who launched the projectiles would have no deterrent as they approached areas where troops were resting. The second leg of the semi-final between the two sides is scheduled to take place on Tuesday night, with both sides looking perfectly poised to draw 1-1 following the first leg in Madrid last Wednesday.
The Marca newspaper report also claimed that the first fireworks were lit at 1:30am, shedding further light on the exact sequence of events. Another 20 minutes later, another loud explosion rang out outside the team’s quarters, shaking at least one member of the team.
Despite the turmoil his players have endured, Simeone will be thrilled to be able to use several players in London. Injury concerns for Julian Alvarez, Giuliano Simeone, Marcos Llorente and David Hanko were raised last week, but all four were named in the traveling squad.
Pablo Barrios and Nico Gonzalez are the only players notable for Atlético’s absence, which also includes Alexander Sorloth despite not featuring in the last two games.
Mikel Arteta also provided some encouraging injury news, with Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard both set to return to the squad. “It’s great (to have them back) because we need options and we need the ability to play another game tomorrow, whether it’s from the start or after, so it’s really, really good news to have both of them back,” he said Monday.
Josep Guardiola’s side had a chance to respond to the Gunners’ 3-0 win over Fulham, but fell short as they were held to a 3-3 draw at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Had it not been for Jeremy Doku’s last-minute equalizer, City would have moved within six points of Arsenal. Despite some players falling behind in the tie, the title race is now firmly in the hands of Arteta and his team.
In addition to their three remaining league games, Arsenal are keen to qualify for the European finals at the end of May, with either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain standing in their way.
