In the first semifinal match of the 2025-26 Champions League between Atlético Madrid and Arsenal, a key moment occurred in the 44th minute. Referee Danny Makkelie awarded a penalty to the home side after Viktor Gyökeres was brought down in the box by David Hancko. The referee immediately pointed to the spot, and the VAR system confirmed his decision without lengthy deliberations.
Gyökeres confidently converted the penalty, sending the ball into the bottom corner. Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak guessed the direction but couldn’t reach the ball. This goal gave Arsenal a narrow lead going into halftime at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, where the tense battle for a place in the final continues.
According to BBC Sport, pundits and former players note Gyökeres’s composure and Arsenal’s disciplined away performance. The significance of each moment in matches like this is underscored by the fact that the winner of this tie will face PSG or Bayern in the final, which will be held on May 30.
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta and Atlético manager Diego Simeone are actively directing their teams from the touchline. The match is being closely followed not only by fans in Spain and the UK, but across all of European football, as a place in the season’s main game is at stake. In addition to the main referee, video assistant Dennis Higler is part of the officiating team.
Attention to the key figures of the Champions League semifinals and their impact on the outcome of the matchups has already been the subject of a separate piece — learn more about the significance of the players for Paris, Munich, Madrid, and London in the article about the main figures of the semifinals.
