Two shots on goal per team. Counted. That was the offensive balance of the Emirates duel between Arsenal and Atlético de Madrid. At the antipodes of the Metropolitano match and, football-wise for many, light years away from the also past PSG – Bayern.
In fact, for some of the analysts who closely followed the second leg of the semi-final in London, they became somewhat cold when barely 35 minutes had passed. And one of those who did not bite his tongue was Wesley Sneijder.
The former Dutch midfielder, now a commentator on Ziggo Sport, harshly criticized the level of the match: “I wanted to call UEFA after 35 minutes to cancel the matchfor the players to leave the field and announce that The final would be played by Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.”
Arsenal 1-0 Atlético de Madrid Champions League Summary
Without detours
This is how forceful the world runner-up was in 2010, visibly frustrated by what he considered a spectacle unbecoming of a Champions League semi-final. “Frankly, it was terribly boring. It was nothing like a semi-final. There was a lack of intensity, creativity and quality at the top”, he stated.
Sneijder went even further when analyzing a hypothetical final. He sees no options for either team: “It’s hard for me to imagine that they can put PSG or Bayern in trouble. From what we saw, it would be an easy victory for one or the other.”
But there was not only criticism of the game. The Dutchman also pointed directly to the refereeing, suggesting that Arsenal benefited: “You should be very grateful. There was clear contact with Giuliano Simeone that was a penaltyand another about Antoine Griezmann which was not whistled either. For me, they were indisputable.”
