{"id":6896,"date":"2026-04-16T00:29:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T00:29:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=6896"},"modified":"2026-04-16T00:29:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T00:29:29","slug":"joe-cole-makes-arsenal-vs-atletico-madrid-champions-league-semi-final-prediction-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=6896","title":{"rendered":"Joe Cole makes Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid Champions League semi-final prediction | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"646\" height=\"403\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/joe-cole-94d5.png?w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-27983336\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"sync\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Joe Cole rated Arsenal\u2019s Champions League chances (Picture: TNT Sports)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Joe Cole has rated Arsenal\u2019s chances of beating Atletico Madrid and reaching the Champions League final.<\/p>\n<p>Mikel Arteta\u2019s Premier League leaders edged out Portuguese champions Sporting 1-0 in a tight and cagey quarter-final.<\/p>\n<p>Arsenal will meet Spanish giants Atletico in the semis after Diego Simeone\u2019s side beat La Liga rivals Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate.<\/p>\n<p>Champions League holders PSG face German champions Bayern Munich in the other semi-final tie after wins over Liverpool and Real Madrid respectively.<\/p>\n<p>Following a brilliant first-half to the season, Arsenal appear to be stuttering towards the finish line, winning just one of their last five games in all competitions.<\/p>\n<p>But former England star Cole still believes Arsenal fans should be \u2018very confident\u2019 about their chances of overcoming Atletico Madrid and reaching the Champions League final.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Arsenal fans should be\u00a0very, very confident,\u2019 Cole said on TNT Sports. \u2018They always knew they were on the better side of the draw.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"594\" height=\"396\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2270962163.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=594\" class=\"article-image wp-image-27990576\" alt=\"FBL-EUR-C1-ARSENAL-SPORTING\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Mikel Arteta during Arsenal\u2019s clash with Sporting (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u2018The Premier League is one\u00a0entity\u00a0but I think they will turn up against Sporting and perform and get through.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018A semi-final against an Atletico Madrid team that we saw tonight, Arsenal\u00a0are\u00a0a lot stronger than so many different areas.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The only thing that Atletico Madrid\u00a0have\u00a0got over them is experience but I still think the double is on for Arsenal, I really do.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"594\" height=\"396\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2271430382.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=594\" class=\"article-image wp-image-27990580\" alt=\"Atletico de Madrid v FC Barcelona - UEFA Champions League 2025\/26 Quarter-Final Second Leg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u2018It will be chaos but Arsenal can\u2019t be gentlemen in a game like that. There will be dark arts from Atletico so Arsenal need to manage that.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Arsenal beat Sporting 1-0 in Lisbon last week courtesy of Kai Havertz\u2019s injury-time goal and that proved to be enough to send the Gunners into the semi-finals of the Champions League.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking after the victory over Sporting, Gunners boss Arteta said: \u2018It\u2019s a massive moment. To be part of those four teams is great work.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It\u2019s a great night. I\u2019m very happy for all our people. We are making steps that haven\u2019t been done at this club for 140 years [back-to-back Champions League semi-finals].<\/p>\n<p>\u2018You have to earn it. You have to go through a lot of work. Gratitude to the players.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>On Arsenal\u2019s semi-final opponents Atletico Madrid, Arteta added: \u2018I watched them yesterday \u2013 that stadium is special.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Those are the moments we want to live together as a team right now, so enjoy tonight. Tomorrow we will start to prepare for the weekend and then we will think about that.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Arsenal\u2019s Gabriel Martinelli also discussed the semi-final tie against Atletico Madrid, telling reporters: \u2018We played them in the group stage but this will be a completely different game.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018We have to earn the right, we have to do things right in the game as well. Let\u2019s keep it up and try to win both games.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Arsenal, sitting six points clear at the top of the Premier League, face title rivals Manchester City in a huge clash on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on <meta charset=\"utf-8\"\/><br \/>\n<strong>Facebook,\u00a0<\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Metro_Sport\">Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: Sporting vice-captain singles out \u2018extraordinary\u2019 Arsenal star after Champions League exit<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: Former Chelsea and Man Utd manager Jose Mourinho lined up for Premier League job<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal star is \u2018shattered\u2019 ahead of Manchester City clash<\/span><\/p>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom\">\n\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Comment now<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-comment\" href=\"#social-comment\"\/><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-comments__label\">Comments<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-preferred-source\" href=\"#social-preferred-source\"\/><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-preferred-source__label\">Add as preferred source<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/section>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/> Joe Cole makes Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid Champions League semi-final prediction | Football<br \/>\n<br \/>#Joe #Cole #Arsenal #Atletico #Madrid #Champions #League #semifinal #prediction #Football<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Joe Cole rated Arsenal\u2019s Champions League chances (Picture: TNT Sports) Joe Cole has rated 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