By: Yetunde Ayedogbon
Following a 1-1 draw, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid will move on to the second leg of their Champions League semifinal match.
Penalty rulings and VAR intervention determined the outcome of the first leg.
Just before halftime, Viktor Gyokeres scored a penalty to give Arsenal a crucial advantage. However, Julian Alvarez’s spot kick into the top corner in the 56th minute, following Ben White’s severe handball penalty, erased that lead.
In the 79th minute, Arsenal was given a second penalty, but the VAR authorities determined that Eberechi Eze had insufficient touch to support the on-field ruling.
The victor of this two-leg semifinal will play either Bayern Munich or PSG in the championship game next month.