A penalty controversy decided the first leg of the Champions League semi-final between Arsenal and Atlético Madrid, with the hosts left furious after a spot-kick was awarded and then dramatically overturned during a tense 1-1 draw at the Metropolitano Stadium.
The scores remain level after both sides converted from the spot in the first and second halves, but the defining moment came in the 78th minute when referee Danny Makkelie initially pointed to the penalty spot for a third time, only to reverse his decision following a VAR review — a call Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta described as “completely unacceptable” and one that “changes the course of the tie.”
Match Summary
Viktor Gyokeres opened the scoring for Arsenal from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute after being fouled by Dávid Hancko. The goal was Gyokeres’ 18th of the season across all competitions and his fifth in the Champions League; he has also scored three penalties in the Premier League this term. Atlético Madrid equalised in the 56th minute when Julián Álvarez converted a second penalty after Ben White was penalised for handball. That strike was Álvarez’s 10th goal in the Champions League this season, and the Argentine reached 25 goals in the competition in just 41 matches — the fewest appearances by any Argentine, surpassing Lionel Messi (42) and Sergio Agüero (48).
The Overturned Decision
Arsenal were awarded their third penalty of the night in the 78th minute when Eberechi Eze went down under a challenge from Dávid Hancko. Referee Makkelie, a Dutch official who had taken charge of four previous Arsenal matches (three wins, one loss) without issuing a red card or penalty, initially gave the spot-kick. But after a VAR review led by Dennis Higler and assistant VAR Pol van Boekel, Makkelie overturned his own decision, signalling that Hancko had not committed a foul.
UEFA’s brief explanation stated that Hancko “did not commit a foul on the opponent.” The decision has drawn sharp criticism. Arteta called it “against the rules” and “completely unacceptable at this level,” insisting it altered the outcome of the tie. Former referees also questioned the intervention, with some arguing that VAR should not have become involved because the original call was not a “clear and obvious error” — the threshold required for a review under protocol. Diego Simeone, the Atlético Madrid manager, was spotted celebrating on the touchline as the decision was reversed.
Officials and Context
The all-Dutch officiating team included assistant referees Hessel Steegstra and Jan de Vries, fourth official Serdar Gözübüyük, and VAR Dennis Higler with assistant Pol van Boekel. Makkelie has refereed Atlético Madrid seven times previously, issuing 12 yellow cards and two red cards but no penalties. The match was the first leg of the semi-final; the other semi-final between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich was noted for its goal-scoring spectacle.
At the Metropolitano, toilet paper was thrown from the stands before kick-off. Atlético Madrid’s manager Diego Simeone, known for his “mind games” and “old school veteran” approach, was an active presence on the touchline throughout. There is also concern over a potential injury to Álvarez after he challenged for the ball with Eze; he was substituted shortly after scoring.
Head-to-Head and European Records
In their last five meetings before this leg, Arsenal had won one, Atlético Madrid had won one, and three ended in draws, with Arsenal scoring seven goals and Atlético four. Arsenal have reached the Champions League final once before, in 2006, and hold the European club competition record for most consecutive clean sheets (ten). They have won two European honours: the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1970 and the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994. Atlético Madrid have won the Europa League three times (2010, 2012, 2018) and have been Champions League runners-up three times (1974, 2014, 2016). They entered this fixture with an undefeated home record against English teams in Champions League knockout matches.
