Atletico Madrid at Arsenal 4/26/18 - Europa League Picks & Predictions

Besides the Champions League, the Europa League has also reached it's semi-finals, and there are some very interesting match-ups there. In the first semi-final, Arsenal will play host to Atletico Madrid on Thursdsay. Arsenal did a pretty solid job against CSKA Moscow in the previous round, while Atletico Madrid sort of struggled against Sporting Lisbon.

Arsenal did a great job in the first leg of the quarter-finals against CSKA Moscow, whom they defeated by 1-4 at home. It was a much more competitive second leg, but after a 2-2 draw in Russia, Arsenal went through. The Gunners' record in six UEFA competitions semi-final ties is W5 L1, prevailing in each of the first five. Arsenal's eight-match unbeaten home run in UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League matches (6-0-2) came to an end in the round of 32 with a 2-1 defeat by Ostersund, but they bounced back by beating Milan by 1-3 and CSKA Moscow by 1-4 in the next two rounds. Prior to that victory over Milan, Arsenal had lost each of their previous six European home games in the spring, conceding 17 goals. They have not kept a clean sheet in the last eight. Atletico Madrid did good in the first leg against Sporting Lisbon at home, whom they defeated by a fragile 0-2. In the second leg in Lisbon, Atletico Madrid conceded a goal at the 28th minute, and the qualification was up for grabs. However, they held on, and lost by just one goal, effectively moving through to the semis. Atletico were unbeaten on their European travels this season until that loss, with three draws in the Champions League preceding two wins in the Europa League. The Madrid club went into that match in Lisbon on a run of seven successive away wins in the Europa League knockout phase. Indeed, the loss to Sporting was only their second in 12 such fixtures (8-2-2). Their overall record in UEFA competition semi-finals stands at W8 L6, but have won just four of their 14 away legs in that span.