The pitch at the Civitas Metropolitano Stadium has become a treacherous opponent in its own right, and for Arsenal, the condition of the surface — now compounded by severe weather warnings — represents a significant danger ahead of Wednesday night’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid.
The problems date back to November 2025, when the NFL’s Miami Dolphins staged a three-day training camp at the stadium. The pitch was subsequently completely relaid. That alone might have been manageable, but Madrid then endured an unusually wet and cold winter. The grass never properly settled and has remained a persistent issue ever since.
Atletico’s own captain, Koke, has been among those to voice frustration. After a 1-0 home defeat to Real Betis in February — a side they had hammered 5-0 just three days earlier — he said: “Honestly, the pitch is not in good condition. We slip, the turf comes up. A team like Atletico needs the pitch to be good in order to play. We’re expected to perform at a high level, and we need a pitch of that level to be able to do so. A top quality surface.”
Barcelona, who lost to Atletico in the Copa del Rey semi-final, were similarly scathing. President Joan Laporta hit out at the “poor condition” of the pitch. Coach Hansi Flick is understood to have complained to UEFA officials about the length of the grass, believing it was a deliberate ploy to disrupt his side’s passing game. UEFA measured the grass at 26mm — within the maximum regulation of 3cm — but Barcelona maintained their concerns. In that same Copa del Rey defeat, Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia let a backpass roll under his foot and into the net.
Tottenham Hotspur endured even greater chaos when they arrived for their Champions League last-16 tie. Within 15 minutes they were 3-0 down. Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky and defender Micky van de Ven both slipped to gift goals to Atletico, and Kinsky then made a hash of another backpass. Tottenham were unhappy with how heavily the pitch had been watered before the match — a factor their players simply could not adapt to. Antoine Griezmann, after the game, admitted “the pitch was very slippy” and that Atletico were simply “more used to it”.
The recurring pattern of opponent errors has fuelled speculation that Atletico may be maintaining a deliberately difficult surface to gain a tactical advantage, particularly against sides that favour possession football. The club itself attributes the problems primarily to adverse weather — heavy rain, snow and low temperatures — and has stated it does not plan to replace the turf until the end of the season.
Now, for Arsenal, the forecast threatens to make an already testing surface treacherous. Spanish weather authorities have issued warnings of “significant danger” for the Madrid area, with very strong gusts of wind and hail expected. Up to 30mm of rain could fall in the space of a single hour leading up to kick-off. One 10-day forecast shows a 61% chance of precipitation and overcast conditions for Wednesday.
Both sides will be affected by the conditions, but as Griezmann made clear, Atletico are well accustomed to them. Arsenal, by contrast, must adapt on the fly — and in a semi-final likely to be decided by fine margins, that disadvantage looms large. David Raya, in particular, will need to take extra care with his footing, given the history of goalkeeping errors on this surface.
Mikel Arteta, speaking at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, described Arsenal as “unlucky” with the forecast. He expressed confidence that his players would cope. “We adapt to any context,” he said. “And for the last nine months, imagine the amount of games we have played, given that we have played in different scenarios, different contexts, with different opponents. So we adapt to the conditions tomorrow in the best possible way to be ourselves and win the game.”
Arteta has referenced adaptation before — notably after Arsenal’s FA Cup tie at Mansfield Town in March, where the pitch had very little grass in places and was heavily watered in others. But a League Two ground is one thing; a Champions League semi-final at a raucous Metropolitano, with 70,000 fans and a storm overhead, is quite another.
Atletico’s home form is formidable: they have scored 26 goals in their last nine matches at the venue. Arsenal will be without Kai Havertz (muscle injury) and Jurrien Timber (groin), while Atletico may be missing Pablo Barrios (hamstring) and Jose Maria Gimenez (muscle), with Julian Alvarez listed as probable. The first leg, kicking off at 8pm GMT, will demand that Arsenal hold their nerve — and keep their footing — against an opponent that knows exactly how to use the ground beneath its feet.
