Summary:
- Arsenal's first European semi-final in nine years
- Ozil & Wilshere start for Arsenal, Ospina in goal
- Torres & Costa on bench for Atletico
- Marseille host RB Salzburg in other semi-final
I think Arsenal can definitely do it. Atletico were not that good at the weekend against Real Betis, drawing 0-0, or against Sporting Lisbon in the last round. The second leg, they lost 1-0 but it could have been 3-0. They were so bad.
Whether they have Diego Costa fit or not is a huge factor. Antoine Griezmann is not the same player when he’s not there.
Winning the Europa League would be an amazing farewell for Arsene Wenger. It would be a fairytale but football is no fairytale.
Welcome to The Emirates for Arsene Wenger’s last home game as manager of Arsenal in Europe.
Back in 1988 Wenger made his debut as a manager in a European competition, taking Monaco to the quarter-finals of the European Cup. Almost 30 years on, can he finally lift a European trophy with Arsenal?
During his spell at Arsenal he lost the Uefa Cup in 2000 to Galatasaray on penalties and famously lost the 2006 Champions League final to Barcelona 2-1 after leading with 10 men for much of the match.
If Arsenal had replicated their Europa League form on the Premier League stage they would have sealed a place in next season's Champions League by now.
Defeats away to the likes of Stoke City, Watford, Swansea City, Bournemouth, Brighton and Newcastle leave them sixth in the table - 33 points behind champions Manchester City.
Remember, the winners of the Europa League join Europe's elite in the group stage of the 2018-19 Champions League.
Atletico Madrid have reached two Champions League finals in recent years. They will go into this tie as favourites but Arsenal's focus now is solely on winning this competition and sending Arsene Wenger out with the trophy and on a high which would return them to the Champions League. I wouldn't write them off.
Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere are back but Arsene Wenger sticks with David Ospina as Petr Cech once again has to make do with a place on the bench.
Atletico Madrid are not hanging about and have named their line-up nice and early.
Diego Costa and Fernando Torres are both on the bench. It's a strong Atletico side.
Will Diego Costa start for Atletico?
The former Chelsea striker has been named in a 20-man Atletico squad for the trip despite boss Diego Simeone saying at the weekend the Spain forward had "no chance" of being fit.
Costa loves a goal against the Gunners and scored in last season's FA Cup final.
Team news coming up...
Hello and welcome to the end of an era!
Arsene Wenger is taking charge of Arsenal in a home European tie for the last time.
And what a blockbuster semi-final it is.
Atletico Madrid - the second best team in Spain according to the La Liga table - stand in the way of Wenger and a place in the Europa League final in his native France on 16 May.
Arsene Wenger's first European game in charge of Arsenal turned into a Greek tragedy.
An appearance in the Uefa Cup final as well as the Champions League final have followed since that 1-0 defeat to PAOK in Thessaloniki in 1997.
Yet Gunners fans have been starved of a European victory parade under Wenger. That must change if the Frenchman's 22-year reign is to end on a high.
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