Arsenal host Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium in a decisive second leg of their UEFA Champions League 2025-26 semi-final. The tie remains finely poised after a tense 1-1 draw in Madrid, where Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez both scored from the penalty spot.

Mikel Arteta’s side will draw confidence from their strong home form and their push to reach a first Champions League final in 20 years. Another victory would also extend their unbeaten run in Europe to a club-record 14 matches. Arsenal regained momentum domestically with a convincing 3-0 win over Fulham, suggesting they are peaking at the right time.

However, Diego Simeone’s Atletico remain a dangerous knockout team. Despite inconsistent league form, their defensive discipline and counter-attacking threat make them formidable opponents. With everything to play for, expect a tightly contested battle, where fine margins — possibly even another penalty — could decide who advances to Budapest.

UCL 2026 S/F 2nd Leg: Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid team news

Arsenal team news:

Arsenal have received a major boost with the return of captain Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz, both declared fit by Mikel Arteta. Their presence adds creativity and attacking depth ahead of a crucial tie. Bukayo Saka, who was taken off at half-time in the last match, is expected to start, while Martin Zubimendi should return after being rested.

However, Arsenal will be without Mikel Merino due to a foot injury and Jurrien Timber with a groin issue, slightly weakening their squad depth.

Atletico Madrid team news:

Atletico Madrid are boosted by the return of Julian Alvarez, who missed their last league outing but is fit and expected to start. Diego Simeone emphasised his importance, particularly given his familiarity with English football and his impact in the first leg.

UCL 2026 S/F 2nd Leg: Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid probable starting 11

Arsenal starting 11 (probable): David Raya; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Piero Hincapie; Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard; Viktor Gyokeres

Atletico Madrid starting 11 (probable): Jan Oblak; Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, David Hancko, Mateo Ruggeri; Giuliano Simeone, Koke, Johnny Cardoso, Ademola Lookman; Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez

Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid: Head-to-head

• 
  Total matches: 4
• 
  Arsenal won: 1
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  Atletico won: 1
• 
  Draw: 2

UEFA Champions League semifinal: Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid 2nd leg live telecast and streaming details

When will the UCL 2026 semifinal between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid be played?

The 2nd leg of the UCL 2026 semifinal between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid will be played on May 6.

What time will the UCL 2026 semifinal between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid begin on May 6?

The UCL 2026 semifinal between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid will start at 12:30 am IST (May 6).

What will be the venue for the UCL 2026 semifinal match between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid?

The Emirates Stadium in London will host the UCL 2026 semifinal match between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid.

Where will the live telecast of the UCL 2026 semifinal between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid be available in India?

The live telecast of the UCL 2026 semifinal between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid will be available on the Sony Sports Network.

Where will the live streaming of the UCL 2026 semifinal between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid be available in India?

The live streaming of the UCL 2026 semifinal between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.

Rasmus Hojlund is set to make his transfer to Napoli a permanent one this summer as he leaves Manchester United

Outgoing Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund is set for an immediate pay rise with his loan move to Napoli on the brink of becoming a permanent switch. The Italian side are on the brink of sealing Champions League football next season, which will see the Dane trigger an obligation in his loan deal with Gli Azzurri.

As reported by the Manchester Evening News, United are set for a considerable PSR boost when the €44million (£38m) move is triggered. A win for Antonio Conte’s side over Bologna on Monday, so long as Roma in fifth fail to win against Parma on Sunday.

Napoli are all but guaranteed a spot in Europe’s elite competition, which would see Hojlund leave Old Trafford permanently.

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The Mirror reports Hojlund has already agreed a ‘new and improved’ long-term deal with the Italian club. The 23-year-old arrived at United from Atalanta for £76m in 2023, yet went on to become one of the club’s most costly disappointments.

He mustered only 26 goals in 95 appearances across all competitions before United opted to cut their losses on the striker and allow him to seek pastures new.

Since linking up with Napoli, however, Hojlund has flourished, netting 11 times in 30 Serie A outings for Antonio Conte’s side.

Napoli must secure Champions League qualification in order to sign Hojlund at the agreed fee and sporting director Giovanni Manna has insisted the club will bring him in regardless.

He said in March: “There are no doubts. Rasmus will stay here.

“We have an obligation to buy from Manchester United, in case of Champions League access, but he is in our plans regardless of this condition.”

United icon Peter Schmeichel believes his former club are making an error by allowing Hojlund to leave.

Schmeichel said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast: “A bit of a shame because I like Hojlund by the way and think he could have been absolutely fantastic. But I don’t think he wants to come back.”

Schmeichel’s former team-mate Nicky Butt added: “What they did with Hojlund was wrong because they brought a young boy in who’s not got any Premier League experience and asked him to carry Manchester United.

“I’m scared they’re going to do that with (Benjamin) Sesko. I know Sesko has done really well of late but they still need to get another centre forward, we had four top players in that position.”

Pat Carey may be assured of Recon’s talent, but after the four-year-old’s first-run fifth position in Flemington’s Listed race, he scarcely envisioned single-figure quotes for a Group 1 soon after.

A remarkable second-up score in the Hareeba Stakes all but mandated that the clever Mornington handler contemplate the $1 million The Goodwood featuring the lightly tested gelding.

With few races under his belt, the gelding surged forward to overwhelm foes in the 1200m Listed affair on his venue’s annual flagship day, April 18, solidifying Carey’s view of his readiness for South Australia’s signature sprint.

“After he won the Harbeeba, he jumped something like 17 (ratings) points, so it ruled out a lot of the last bit of progress through the grades he had,” Carey said.

“So, he’s basically obliged to run in sort of Listed-plus races now, anyway.

“We still think that there’s more to come with him at 1400 and maybe further, but he deserves his opportunity at this level, at this time of his career.”

The Hareeba Stakes provided his sixth victory across 11 starts, having previously topped out at benchmark 84 prior to the current campaign.

Carey, who teamed up with Harris Walker for training in 2023, delights in campaigning a horse so respected in a prominent sprint.

His four Group 1 conquests have all been at 2400m or beyond, including Cederberg taking the Tancred Stakes, plus Oaks successes with Arapaho Miss and Gondokoro, and Ethiopia’s ATC Derby win.

Post the Hareeba Stakes, Carey has noted positive signs from Recon and foresees a competitive run at Morphettville.

“He’s been kept up to the mark, he had a nice gallop on the course proper at Mornington today and he’s continued to hold good form,” Carey said from Bendigo on Saturday.

“We’re optimistic about where his future is going to take him.”

Recon trades at $7 in The Goodwood markets, with $5 joint heads Extragalactic and Flying For Fun out front.

Discover racing betting markets for The Goodwood at leading sites.

The finalists for the 2026 Marc-Vivien Foé Prize have been unveiled, ensuring that this year’s award will go to a first-time laureate.

On the heels of their Africa Cup of Nations campaign, Senegal’s Lions of Teranga are well represented, with both Lamine Camara and Moussa Niakhaté in the trio of finalists. 

Standing in their way is Mamadou Sangaré, who is vying to become the first Malian to pick up the annual award.

Lamine Camara

Still only 22, the Senegalese prodigy continues to live up to the hype, having become a fixture of his club Monaco and the Lions of Teranga.

The midfielder started every match of the Africa Cup of Nations, right through to the title won on the pitch against Morocco – a title Senegal have, for the time being, been stripped of pending a final appeal.

His 2025/2026 season with Monaco: 22 matches played, 1 goal, 4 assists.

His 2025/2026 season with Senegal: 11 matches played, 1 goal, one Africa Cup of Nations final.

Moussa Niakhaté

At 30, Moussa Niakhaté has become equally indispensable in defence for Senegal and his club Lyon, whose 24 clean sheets this year are largely down to him.

A win against mighty PSG last month allowed Niakhaté to showcase his newfound stature by keeping the Parisian attacking armada at bay. The 24 clean sheets recorded by OL this year are largely down to him. And so is Lyon’s return to the brink of the Champions League.

His 2025/2026 season with Lyon: 30 matches played, 2 assists.

His 2025/2026 season with Senegal: 11 matches played, one Africa Cup of Nations final.

Mamadou Sangaré

RC Lens’s standout signing this year, the 23-year-old has been a key factor in the northern club’s outstanding season, which has seen them push PSG for the title.

A tireless ball-winner with a left foot that works wonder, Sangaré is hoping to become the first Malian to win the Marc-Vivien Foé Award.

His 2025/2026 season with Lens: 28 games played, 3 goals, 4 assists.

His 2025/2026 season with Mali: 9 games played, AFCON quarter-finals.

The prize for the best African player in Ligue 1 is named after Marc-Vivien Foé since 2011, in tribute to the Cameroonian player who died suddenly while playing for his country in a match against Colombia at the Stade de Gerland in Lyon on June 26, 2003. Players who have been capped for an African national team and played in at least 15 Ligue 1 matches over the past season are eligible for the prize.

Past winners:

2025: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)

2024: Chancel Mbemba (DR Congo)

2022: Seko Fofana (Ivory Coast)  

2021: Gaël Kakuta (DR Congo)

2020 : Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)

2019 : Nicolas Pépé (Ivory Coast)

2018: Karl Toko-Ekambi (Cameroon)

2017: Jean Michaël Seri (Ivory Coast)

2016: Sofiane Boufal (Morocco)

2015 : André Ayew (Ghana)

2014: Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria)

2013: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)

2012 : Younès Belhanda (Morocco)

2011 : Gervinho (Ivory Coast)

2010: Gervinho (Ivory Coast)

2009: Marouane Chamakh (Morocco)

PETA sent a topless model to pose at the 2026 Met Gala red carpet as a protest against celebrities and models using real feathers in their outfits.

On May 5, a model representing PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) posed on the Met Gala red carpet, in protest of feathers used in some of the other attendees’ outfits. A banner with “Feathers: A Look That Kills” was also held behind, while the attendee wrote it on her chest as well. The model was seen naked, her body painted grey, and wearing artificial feathers on her arms.

In a video shared online by the organization’s official account, they shared clips of the PETA model and wrote:

“Showed up and showed out at the #MetGala. Our “plucked bird” exposed the birds who die behind every feathered frock on the red carpet.”

The organization’s statement appears to hint at the fashion industry’s use of birds’ feathers in their collections. Birds such as ostriches, peacocks, and emus are killed and their feathers are plucked to be used by major designer labels across the world. The model’s message called out the practice, aligning with the organization’s overall stance against animal cruelty.

PETA President Tracy Reiman gives statement about their stance at the Met Gala

In a press release shared by PETA, President Tracy Reiman opened up on the organization’s stance at the Met Gala. She stated:

“Behind every feathered frock on the red carpet is a bird who felt pain and fear and didn’t want to die for a fleeting fashion statement. We are calling on designers and consumers to leave feathers on the birds who were born with them and embrace compassionate vegan couture.”

The practice of using birds’ feathers in fashion has been an age-old practice that has been condemned by animal rights activists over the years. For instance, industry workers reportedly retain ostriches as young as one year old, electrocute them, and pluck their feathers while they are still breathing. Other birds such as emus, peacocks, turkeys, pheasants, and chickens, also go through similar practices.

These feathers are used by fashion labels across the world. However, many brands have gone cruelty-free over the years, including certain luxury labels such as Stella McCartney. The popular designer, who remains feather-free in her brand, also urged other labels to sign PETA‘s feather-free pledge and stop using feathers in their collections.

Further, fashion shows such as Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and Copenhagen Fashion Week have also banned the use of real feathers in their events.