Preview:Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid - prediction, team news, lineups

Arsenal's next victory in the Champions League will be a particularly momentous one, and the Gunners could achieve it on Tuesday night, when they face Atletico Madrid at the Emirates in the league phase.

Should Mikel Arteta get one over Diego Simeone in midweek, the Gunners will be celebrating their 100th win in the tournament proper, as well as the extension of an all-time record streak.

Match preview

Two games, two wins, four goals scored, zero conceded - the only complaint Gooners can have about Arsenal's start to the 2025-26 Champions League was that their side failed to slay Athletic Bilbao and Olympiacos by a heavier margin.

Nevertheless, 2-0 victories over the Spanish heavyweights and Greek giants means that Arsenal are one of just six sides boasting a perfect six points from their opening two fixtures, while only Inter Milan are also yet to concede a goal.

The fifth-placed Gunners lead Qarabag and trail the Nerazzurri, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich on goal difference in the league-phase table, where their current ranking would more than suffice for a direct ticket to the last 16 of the competition.

The hosts' maiden success over Athletic on matchday one marked their sixth straight win over a Spanish club in Europe's premier tournament - a feat no other team has managed in the Champions League - and the form book certainly suggests that six could become seven on Tuesday.

Indeed, Arteta's charges made it five triumphs on the spin in all competitions in Saturday's 1-0 Premier League success against Fulham, and they have remarkably prevailed in 11 consecutive Champions League league phase/group-stage games at home without conceding a single goal.

Visitors Atletico - renowned for their dogged defending under Simeone - cannot boast such a stellar streak at the back, but Los Rojiblancos scored more in 82 minutes against Eintracht Frankfurt than Arsenal have across both of their European contests so far this term.

Atoning for their agonising Anfield loss to Liverpool on matchday one, the Madrid giants pummelled the Bundesliga outfit 5-1 on September 30, thus forcing their way into the top 10 of the standings and cutting the gap to eighth-placed Manchester City to just one point.

The humiliation of Frankfurt marked a third successive win across all competitions for Simeone's men, whose momentum was disrupted in a 1-1 La Liga draw with Celta Vigo before the international break, but Thiago Almada got the Rojiblancos back on track with the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Osasuna on Saturday.

However, while Atletico have scored in all of their 11 competitive games this season - suggesting they will pose a stiff test to Arsenal's defensive prowess - they are yet to pick up a single win away from home, losing two and drawing three of their five contests on the road.

Simeone's side also failed to triumph on their first visit to the Emirates, playing out a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their 2017-18 Europa League semi-final, but Atletico edged out Arsene Wenger's men 1-0 in the return fixture before easing past Marseille in the final.

Arsenal Champions League form:

Arsenal form (all competitions):

Atletico Madrid Champions League form:

Atletico Madrid form (all competitions):

Team News

Arsenal came out of their trip to Fulham unscathed on the physical front, but Piero Hincapie was once again missing on account of his groin issue and remains a slight doubt for Tuesday, despite making a return to team training last week.

The quartet of Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus remain out of contention due to their knee injuries, while Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice will both miss the matchday four fixture against Slavia Prague if they are booked on Tuesday.

Arteta should not factor in that suspension risk when selecting his starting XI, although his enviable squad depth means that a couple of changes could be in the offing, spelling optimism for the likes of Ben White, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gabriel Martinelli.

In contrast, Atletico were dealt a fresh concern in their success over Osasuna as Nico Gonzalez was taken off just before half time due to a head injury.

However, the 27-year-old has passed the necessary concussion tests and is surprisingly available for Tuesday's game, but it would still be a shock to see him start.

Simeone sent on his son - Giuliano Simeone - to replace the stricken Gonzalez at the weekend, but match-winner Almada, Javi Galan, Matteo Ruggeri and former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher are alternative options on the left-hand side for the visitors.

Johnny Cardoso (ankle) is the visitors' only other fitness concern for Tuesday's game, where experienced defender Clement Lenglet is also available again following a La Liga suspension.

Arsenal possible starting lineup:

Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Eze, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli

Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:

Oblak; Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Ruggeri; Simeone, Barrios, Gallagher, Almada; Griezmann, Alvarez

We say: Arsenal 2-1 Atletico Madrid

Atletico needed the evergreen Jan Oblak to bail them out against Osasuna, but Simeone's side have largely been potent on the attacking front this season and could very well ruin Arsenal's perfect defensive record in Europe.

However, Simeone's side are yet to find the recipe for success on the road and are not the same defensive force they once were, so Arteta's men should bite back harder to maintain their 100% winning record in the competition.

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