ATLéTICO MADRID IMPRESS AS SIMEONE’S SIDE CONTROL GAME TO BEAT UNION 3-1

Atlético Madrid beat Union Saint-Gilloise 3-1 with goals from Julián Álvarez, Conor Gallagher, and Marcos Llorente. The win revives their shaky Champions League campaign after a nervous but dominant display at the Metropolitano.

Atlético Madrid Impress as Simeone’s Side Control Game to Beat Union 3-1
Atletico Madrid's Marcos Llorente celebrates scoring his side's third goal during a Champions League opening phase soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Union Saint-Gilloise in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) (Manu Fernandez/AP)

In the Champions League, Atletico Madrid easily defeated Union Saint-Gilloise, thanks to goals from Marcos Llorente, Conor Gallagher, and Julián Alvarez.

Atléti managed to clinch a much-needed victory following a difficult start to their European campaign, despite a goal from Ross Sykes for the Belgian champions that threatened to put the pigeons among the pigeons.

As it turned out, Atletico Madrid needed to win tonight and put on a good show to salvage any chance of leaving their mark on this Champions League campaign. Rob Schoofs nearly gave Union Saint-Gilloise the lead inside five minutes of their slow start as the Belgian team pressed early and had chances right away. Before Atléti started to take charge of the game, USG was a decent bargain in the first half. With little over 30 minutes remaining, José María Giménez, the centre half, had a fantastic chance to put the Spanish team ahead.

Atlético took the lead shortly after this opportunity. After a great counterattack, Simeone's most dangerous player, Alvarez, saw his strike slip by USG goalie Kjell Scherpen. USG had no response when Atléti made their strength and speed matter for the first time. Simeone's team obviously felt more confident after scoring this goal, and they started looking for their second goal to defeat their opponents. When Antoine Griezmann stumbled home from close range, they almost doubled their lead. A VAR review, however, determined that the Frenchman was offside, and the Spaniards entered halftime with a one-goal lead.

As they concluded the first half, Atléti began the second. Defender Dávid Hancko and winger Giuliano Simeone both had missed chances, but the home team put on a strong show and soon earned their second goal. Simeone was rewarded for his side's patience as Gallagher was the target of yet another swift counterattack after they had been pounding on the door for over half. The Englishman was fortunate to have the ball, but his finish was deserving of the second.

When it became evident that USG was losing the game, Atléti lost focus and let the visitors regain the lead. After defender Sykes headed home from a powerful set piece to create some anxiety at the Estadio Metropolitano, chances for striker Promise David became the norm throughout the latter half.

The Atléti's concern was short-lived, though, as they managed to escape the USG push, and Llorente's close-range effort completed a rather unsettling but outstanding performance by Simeone and his team.

ARSENAL POCKET INSANE £125.18M FOLLOWING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL QUALIFICATION

Mikel Arteta's side has added £15.97m to their cash reserves, eclipsing the total earned by current champions PSG last year.

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Arsenal Bag Extra £15.9m Prize Money After Historic Champions League Semifinal - Photo Credit: PA

Arsenal have added another £15.97 million to their UEFA prize money haul after securing a spot in the Champions League final with a win against Atletico Madrid. They are set to face either Bayern Munich or the current champions, Paris Saint-Germain, in Budapest on May 30, aiming for their first-ever triumph in this prestigious competition.

Beyond that, there’s an additional £5.61 million up for grabs in Hungary later this month. But up to now, Arsenal have amassed an eye-watering £125.18 million in Champions League prize money this season alone. A place in next season’s European Super Cup also carries a potential reward of around £3.45 million. It’s been a remarkable European run under Mikel Arteta, with the team dominating the group stage by winning all eight matches.

From the very beginning, the club benefited from the initial distribution of TV revenue and the rankings pool, which together amounted to £49.6 million. Even before the knockout rounds kicked off, Arsenal had already secured £85.3 million in prize money.

That total doesn’t even cover the bonuses linked to their on-field success, as each of their eight victories in the group stage brought in roughly £15.8 million altogether.

By finishing first out of 36 group-phase clubs, Arsenal earned an extra £8.6 million, and progressing straight to the round of 16 as one of the top eight teams secured them another £11.3 million.

They continued their strong run by eliminating Bayer Leverkusen after a 1-1 draw away and a 2-0 win at the Emirates, which added £10.8 million more to their earnings.

Overcoming Sporting CP in the quarter-finals also brought a £10.8 million bonus. While Arsenal’s motivation isn’t just financial, this level of income certainly aids in meeting profit and sustainability rules and other financial fair play criteria.

It’s also likely to support their summer transfer budget, as sporting director Andrea Berta looks to build on Arteta’s squad.

Last season, Arsenal took home £98.63 million after reaching the semi-finals before falling to PSG.

PSG, who went on to win the title, collected about £124.62 million last year, so Arsenal have now already surpassed that figure.

Meanwhile, UEFA has set aside a record £2.13 billion in prize money for the 2025-26 Champions League season, highlighting the competition’s growing financial stakes.

JAN OBLAK CONFESSES ATLETICO WERE "AFRAID TO PLAY" AGAINST ARSENAL

Following their Champions League exit, skipper Jan Oblak analysed where Atletico went wrong and paid tribute to Griezmann.

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Oblak Demands Mentality Shift At Atletico After Crashing Out To Arsenal - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Jan Oblak didn’t hold back after Atletico Madrid crashed out of the Champions League against Arsenal. He said straight up that the team just didn’t do enough to earn a spot in the final. Sure, he’s proud of how far the squad has come recently, but the way they went out still stings.

Oblak was pretty open about where things went wrong, especially after the first leg, when Atletico failed to take an advantage back to London. “I'm disappointed, just like all the fans. Honestly, I can’t find the words. We didn’t do enough to be in the final, and it’s just a tough moment. We had our chances to win, but we didn’t take them. All that’s left is to congratulate Arsenal.”

He didn’t stop there, either. Speaking to CBS Golazo, Oblak was even more direct about the team’s mentality, especially in the first half of both matches. He felt Atletico were hesitant, too respectful of Arsenal, and afraid to play. Both times, they fell behind before halftime and then tried to play catch-up, but it was always a little too late. “This has happened several times this season,” Oblak said, “and while we’ve managed to win those games before, not today when it mattered most.”

On the flip side, Oblak did give some credit to the young players and the growth the team’s shown, especially after a couple of big summers that saw a huge part of the squad change. “The last two seasons, we’ve switched out something like 15 players. A lot of young guys with not much experience came in. They did great in the cup, and they’ve held up in the Champions League too. In the league, we weren’t good enough for the biggest matches, but I’m proud of how the younger ones are growing. Still, when the goal is to win a title, and you don’t, you can’t call it a success. All we can do is look forward and hope we’ll be fighting for trophies next season.”

Saying goodbye to Antoine Griezmann made this exit even sadder for Oblak and the rest of the squad. Griezmann’s heading to Orlando City this summer, bringing the curtain down on his Champions League career with Atletico. “Everyone’s going to miss Griezi; he’s an incredible player and a great guy. The kind of person who’s always smiling, always positive, and does things on the pitch nobody else can. We’ll miss him a lot; the fans will miss him, but he deserves nothing but the best wherever he goes.”

At 33, Oblak is one of Atletico’s true leaders, right behind Koke for the captain’s armband. Alongside Jose Maria Gimenez and Marcos Llorente, he’s been a

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