Arsenal defeated Atletico Madrid to confirm their place in the Champions League final where they will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich
Former Champions League winner Wesley Sneijder has joked that UEFA should “intervene” to stop Arsenal from competing in the final of the competition. The Gunners defeated Atletico Madrid in their semi-final clash on Tuesday night to reach the final, which will be played in Budapest on May 30.
Bukayo Saka scored the only goal of the game at the Emirates Stadium, which was enough for Arsenal to claim a 2-1 victory on aggregate against Atletico.
Arsenal will now look ahead to the final later this month, where Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich will be their opponents.
The second leg of the last semi-final sees Munich host PSG in the German city at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night, where the visitors have a 5-4 advantage.
READ MORE: Angry Atletico Madrid star takes to social media after referee decision in Arsenal defeatREAD MORE: Diego Simeone deliberately commits ‘disrespectful’ act in Arsenal tunnel days after bust-up
Arsenal’s winning goal came in the 44th minute, just before half-time, and it was after the game that Sneijder took issue with the performances from both teams in north London.
The former Inter Milan star and Netherlands international went on to suggest that the second leg between PSG and Bayern Munich should be regarded as the Champions League final.
“I said after 35 minutes, UEFA must intervene,” Sneijder stated on Ziggo Sport.
“They need to call London: both teams off the pitch, and tomorrow the final will be played between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
“I knew this would happen, Atletico dropped back and gave away possession, and Arsenal had a lot of control over the ball.”
Sneijder then went on to praise both Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta for reaching the final, which will be the first time that the Gunners will have competed in the showpiece fixture since their defeat to Barcelona back in 2006.
“I looked at the players again, and Arteta already deserves a statue,” Sneijder said.
“He simply doesn’t have any top players, and with the current squad, he manages to push Atletico back, which is impressive.”
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
Arteta reflected on the win over Atletico and the emotions he felt after reaching the final, with the Gunners going unbeaten across the competition so far.
“Yes, because we know how difficult and challenging every opponent is at this level,” Arteta said.
“Atletico, they are an incredible team, the way they compete, the solution they have, the answer they have to everything that you try to do to them immediately, it’s incredible.
“The reason that they’ve been there, they’ve done an outstanding job there, and the margins are so small, and tonight they go for us.”
Find the best flight and Budapest hotel deals with Booking.com
Various Prices
Booking.com
Book here
Arsenal have booked their place in the Champions League final and fans can support the team in Budapest with a flight and hotel deal from Booking.com.
