Arsenal v Atletico semifinal key stats: Alvarez surpasses Messi record and more

Atletico Madrid and Arsenal played out a tense 1–1 draw in their Champions League semifinal first leg on Wednesday, but the night ultimately belonged to Julian Alvarez, whose composure and historic milestone kept his side firmly in the tie.

Arsenal struck first just before halftime when Viktor Gyokeres coolly converted a penalty after being brought down, giving the visitors a valuable lead. However, Atletico responded with greater control after the break, and their persistence paid off when Alvarez stepped up to convert a spot kick of his own following a handball by Ben White.

Alvarez’s goal was more than just an equaliser as it was another landmark in a rapidly growing European legacy. The Argentine forward netted his 25th Champions League goal in just 41 appearances, making him the fastest Argentine to reach that mark, surpassing Lionel Messi, who did so in 42 games.

He also became the first Atletico Madrid player to score 10 goals in a single Champions League campaign, underlining his importance to Atletico Madrid on the biggest stage.

Other key stats:

**Gyokeres made history for Arsenal, becoming the first Swedish player to score in a Champions League semifinal.

**The Arsenal striker also opened his account in the knockout stages of the competition.

**Viktor Gyokeres scored his 19th goal of the season for Arsenal. Only Erling Haaland (35) and Igor Thiago (24) have netted more for a Premier League club across all competitions in 2025-26.

**Arsenal's Declan Rice completed 83 passes against Atletico Madrid, the second-most by an English midfielder in a Champions League semi-final on record after Michael Carrick, who made 99 against Schalke in April 2011.

**Atletico remain formidable at home against English sides, losing just two of their last 19 European matches in Madrid (9 wins, 8 draws).

**Arsenal’s consistency continues to stand out—they are still unbeaten in this season’s Champions League, with 10 wins and 3 draws from 13 matches.

**This was the first Champions League knockout-stage game with more than one goal, in which 100% of them came via penalties, since the 2001 final (Bayern Munich 1-1 Valencia).

**David Hancko has conceded a penalty in two of his last three appearances (v Real Madrid and Arsenal), after not conceding any in his first 41 appearances for the club.