Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal has produced five competitive meetings. Arsenal currently lead the overall head-to-head record with two wins, while Atlético Madrid have one win and two matches have ended in draws. In 2025/26, the clubs met three times in the Champions League, with Arsenal winning 4-0, drawing 1-1, and winning the semi-final second leg 1-0 to advance 2-1 on aggregate.
Key Takeaways
- Arsenal lead the five-match competitive head-to-head, with 2 wins to Atlético Madrid’s 1, plus two draws.
- Arsenal beat Atlético Madrid 4-0 during the 2025/26 Champions League league phase.
- The first leg of the 2026 semi-final finished Atlético Madrid 1-1 Arsenal.
- Arsenal won the second leg 1-0, taking the tie 2-1 on aggregate.
- Atlético Madrid previously eliminated Arsenal in the 2018 Europa League semi-final, winning 2-1 on aggregate.
Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal: Latest Results
The Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal rivalry is relatively short compared with many major European club matchups, but the meetings have become increasingly important.
The teams first met competitively in the 2018 UEFA Europa League semi-finals. Six years later, they faced each other again in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League, where their meetings became much more frequent.
The 2025/26 campaign produced three matches between the clubs: one league-phase encounter and two Champions League semi-final legs. Arsenal won two of those games, while the other ended in a draw.
That recent run gives Arsenal the overall edge in the five competitive meetings.
2025/26 Champions League Meetings
Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid
The first meeting of the 2025/26 Champions League campaign came during the league phase on October 21, 2025.
Arsenal produced the most decisive result in the history of this matchup, beating Atlético Madrid 4-0 at the Emirates Stadium. UEFA lists the result as the clubs’ third competitive meeting and Arsenal’s biggest win over Atleti.
The result was significant because the two clubs would meet again later in the same competition.
Atlético Madrid recovered from that heavy defeat and progressed through the knockout rounds, eventually reaching the semi-finals. UEFA’s pre-match review noted that Atleti advanced past Club Brugge, Tottenham and Barcelona before facing Arsenal again.
Atlético Madrid 1-1 Arsenal
The clubs met again on April 29, 2026, this time in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
The match finished 1-1, leaving the tie completely open heading into the second leg in London. UEFA’s official results confirm the score and identify it as the first leg of the semi-final.
For Atlético Madrid, the draw meant they had an opportunity to overturn the disappointment of the earlier 4-0 league-phase defeat.
For Arsenal, the away draw provided a solid platform before the decisive return match.
Arsenal 1-0 Atlético Madrid
The semi-final was decided at the Emirates Stadium on May 5, 2026.
Arsenal won 1-0, meaning the Gunners advanced to the Champions League final with a 2-1 aggregate victory. UEFA’s head-to-head record lists this as Arsenal’s second win against Atlético Madrid in the 2025/26 competition.
The result completed an unusual sequence between the clubs: Arsenal won the first meeting 4-0, drew the first semi-final leg 1-1, and then won the second semi-final leg 1-0.
Arsenal ultimately reached the Champions League final, where they drew 1-1 with Paris Saint-Germain before losing 4-3 on penalties.
Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal Head-to-Head Record
Across their five competitive meetings, Arsenal have the better overall record.
| Competition | Match | Result |
| Europa League 2018 | Arsenal vs Atlético Madrid | 1-1 |
| Europa League 2018 | Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal | 1-0 |
| Champions League 2025/26 | Arsenal vs Atlético Madrid | 4-0 |
| Champions League 2026 | Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal | 1-1 |
| Champions League 2026 | Arsenal vs Atlético Madrid | 1-0 |
The overall record is:
- Arsenal wins: 2
- Atlético Madrid wins: 1
- Draws: 2
- Arsenal goals: 7
- Atlético Madrid goals: 3
UEFA’s Champions League head-to-head record reflects Arsenal’s advantage in the overall five-match competitive history.
The scoring gap is especially notable because Arsenal’s 4-0 victory accounts for more than half of their total goals against Atlético Madrid.
2018 Europa League Semi-Final
Before their Champions League meetings, Atlético Madrid and Arsenal faced each other in the 2018 UEFA Europa League semi-final.
It was the first competitive matchup between the clubs, and Atlético Madrid eventually progressed to the final.
Arsenal 1-1 Atlético Madrid
The first leg took place at Arsenal’s home ground on April 26, 2018.
Atlético Madrid played most of the match with 10 men after Šime Vrsaljko was sent off early. Arsenal took the lead through Alexandre Lacazette, but Antoine Griezmann equalized for Atlético Madrid.
The match finished 1-1, giving Atleti a valuable away result. UEFA’s match report notes that Griezmann scored the equalizer after Atlético had spent around 80 minutes playing with 10 men.
Atlético Madrid 1-0 Arsenal
The second leg was played on May 3, 2018, in Madrid.
Atlético Madrid won 1-0, giving them a 2-1 aggregate victory and a place in the Europa League final. UEFA recorded the two 2018 results as a 1-1 draw in London followed by Atlético Madrid’s 1-0 home victory.
That remains Atlético Madrid’s only competitive win against Arsenal.
Who Has the Better Record?
Arsenal currently have the better overall head-to-head record.
The Gunners have won two of the five competitive meetings, while Atlético Madrid have won one. The other two matches ended in draws.
However, Atlético Madrid have also had an important success in this matchup. Their 2018 Europa League semi-final victory came in a knockout tie, allowing them to eliminate Arsenal over two legs.
Arsenal later reversed that advantage in the 2026 Champions League semi-final.
So while Arsenal lead the overall match record, both clubs have eliminated the other in a major European semi-final.
Why the 2026 Champions League Tie Mattered
The 2026 semi-final gave this matchup a new level of importance.
Instead of being a two-game Europa League encounter like in 2018, the clubs first met in the Champions League league phase and then crossed paths again in the knockout stage.
That made the 2025/26 campaign particularly unusual. Arsenal’s 4-0 league-phase win did not prevent Atlético Madrid from reaching the semi-finals, where Atleti earned a 1-1 home draw against the same opponent.
Arsenal then won the decisive second leg 1-0.
UEFA’s official competition results confirm that Arsenal advanced 2-1 on aggregate.
Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal Match History
Here is the complete competitive history currently recorded between the clubs:
| Date | Competition | Fixture | Result |
| Apr. 26, 2018 | Europa League | Arsenal vs Atlético Madrid | 1-1 |
| May 3, 2018 | Europa League | Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal | 1-0 |
| Oct. 21, 2025 | Champions League | Arsenal vs Atlético Madrid | 4-0 |
| Apr. 29, 2026 | Champions League | Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal | 1-1 |
| May 5, 2026 | Champions League | Arsenal vs Atlético Madrid | 1-0 |
The five meetings are documented by UEFA and independent historical match records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have Atlético Madrid and Arsenal played each other?
Yes. Atlético Madrid and Arsenal have met five times in competitive European competition. Their first meetings came in the 2018 Europa League semi-final, followed by three Champions League meetings during the 2025/26 season. Arsenal have two wins, Atlético Madrid have one, and two matches have ended in draws.
Who won the 2026 Champions League semi-final?
Arsenal won the 2026 Champions League semi-final against Atlético Madrid. The first leg in Madrid ended 1-1, while Arsenal won the second leg 1-0. Arsenal therefore advanced with a 2-1 aggregate victory.
What was the aggregate score?
The 2026 Champions League semi-final finished 2-1 on aggregate to Arsenal. Atlético Madrid and Arsenal drew 1-1 in Madrid before Arsenal won the return leg 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
Who won the 2018 Europa League semi-final?
Atlético Madrid won the 2018 Europa League semi-final. Arsenal drew 1-1 at home in the first leg, but Atlético Madrid won the second leg 1-0, advancing 2-1 on aggregate.
Final Takeaway
The Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal matchup has developed into an interesting European rivalry despite having only five competitive meetings.
Atlético Madrid won the first knockout battle in 2018, eliminating Arsenal from the Europa League.
Arsenal responded years later by dominating the 2025/26 Champions League league-phase meeting 4-0 and then eliminating Atlético Madrid in the semi-final with a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Overall, Arsenal now lead the head-to-head 2-1 in wins, with two draws. More importantly, each club has now eliminated the other from a European semi-final, giving their relatively short history plenty of significance.
