Arsenal beat Atlético to end Champions League final droughtESPN News ServicesMultiple AuthorsMay 5, 2026, 04:54 PM ET
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Bukayo Saka fired Arsenal to their first Champions League final in 20 years, with his goal late in the first half enough to beat Atlético Madrid 1-0 in north London on Tuesday and progress 2-1 on aggregate.
Saka was on hand to tap in a rebound in the 45th minute after Leandro Trossard’s shot was saved by Jan Oblak.
It will be only Arsenal’s second final in Europe’s premier competition, having lost the 2006 title match to Barcelona. This time it will face either defending champion Paris Saint-Germain or German title winners Bayern Munich in Budapest, Hungary, on May 30.
PSG won the pulsating first leg of their semifinal 5-4, and the second leg is in Munich on Wednesday.
The wait goes on for a first Champions League title for Atlético, who reached the final twice under longtime coach Diego Simeone, in 2014 and 2016, losing both times to crosstown rivals Real Madrid.
Arsenal had dominated possession in the first half but neither side had tested the opposition goalkeeper in a cagey and physical encounter before the home side pounced through their talismanic winger.
It was Saka’s 13th Champions League goal for Arsenal, putting him in a tie for fourth on the club’s all-time list.
“It’s so beautiful, you love to see what it means to us, what it means to the fans, we’re all so happy,” Saka told Amazon Prime.
Bukayo Saka celebrates putting Arsenal ahead against Atlético Madrid. Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty ImagesEach side scored from a penalty in the first leg in Madrid last week and there were more appeals on Tuesday.Arsenal wanted a penalty when Antoine Griezmann bundled Trossard over in the area in the 35th, but referee Daniel Siebert waved play on.
Atlético had two appeals for a spot-kick of their own in the second half, first when Giuliano Simeone went down after a challenge from Gabriel Magalhães and then when Griezmann was sent to the ground from a tackle by Riccardo Calafiori, but the referee’s whistle had already gone for an Atlético foul.
Arsenal, though, once again held firm as they reached the final still unbeaten through 14 games in this season’s competition and with only six goals conceded.
As well as keeping a clean sheet at home in all three knockout rounds, the team also conceded a competition-low four goals in winning all eight of its matches in the league phase.
“It’s easier mentioned than done,” Saka mentioned of Arsenal seeing out the win. “This game is a high pressure game, it means a lot to both sides and we managed to manage it well, and take ourselves to the final, so we’re happy.”
It could prove a special season for the London cub, which is now one game away from its first European Cup title and three games away from a first Premier League crown in 22 years.
The Gunners are guaranteed the domestic league title if they win their remaining three matches, after Manchester City was held to a 3-3 draw at Everton on Monday.
Saka was just four when Thierry Henry and co succumbed to Barcelona in the Stade de France in 2006. But the Arsenal academy graduate will be handed the chance to right the wrongs of that night in Paris for the club he joined when he was just eight.
Fresh from inspiring Arsenal to a 3-0 win against Fulham here on Saturday, Saka was the architect again.
Atlético coach Simeone, clad in his customary all-black attire, grew increasingly agitated on the sidelines as the decisions went against his club and the search for an equalizer proved fruitless.
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres had a great chance to double the lead on a counterattack in the 66th when Piero Hincapié picked him out with a cross but he side footed his effort over the bar.
Moments later, Griezmann exited what proved to be his final Champions League game for Atlético ahead of his departure to Orlando City in the summer. With Julián Álvarez, who suffered an injury in the first leg, also being substituted at the same time, Atlético’s best hopes for a goal seemed to have departed.
As expected, this matchup never looked likely to descend into the kind of free-flowing back-and-forth attacking play of the PSG-Bayern game.
Whichever team wins that second semifinal, the final in Budapest promises to be a contrast in styles.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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