The last day of April dawns with one undisputed main event: the clash of titans at the Metropolitano.
The final 1-1 leaves the tie wide open for the second leg in London, but the interpretations on either side of the English Channel could not be more different. While Spain clings to optimism, England is railing against technology.
The optimism of the Spanish press
Spanish newspapers have chosen to embrace hope. Despite failing to secure a home win, the dominant message is one of resilience and confidence in Simeone’s team.
Marca leads its edition with a resounding "WE BELIEVE!" over an image of the players embracing. The paper highlights that, although qualification will be decided at the Emirates, Atlético “deserved more” after a second half in which they were superior and Griezmann hit the post.
AS follows a similar line with the headline “YES, ITCANBEDONE.” On its front page it highlights Julián Álvarez and mentions that the rojiblanco side’s “magnificent second half” gives them real hope for the clash in London, despite the injuries to Julián, Giuliano, and Sorloth.
Sport and Mundo Deportivo, although they also devote space to Barça news and Raphinha’s future, give a prominent place to Julián Álvarez’s "Golden Goal." They agree that the Argentine’s penalty goal keeps Atlético “alive” and stress that the team showed up throughout.
The complaints from England: VAR under the spotlight
If there is hope in Spain, the feeling in the United Kingdom is one of outrage. The British press wasted no time in pointing to VAR as the reason Arsenal failed to take a historic victory from Madrid.
The Daily Telegraph is the most blunt with its headline: "It's a step too VAR", claiming Arsenal were “robbed” after a penalty on Eberechi Eze was overturned following a lengthy video review.
Star Sport uses a biting pun: “PENS AND NEEDLES,” referring to the tension of penalties and the suffering of the “Gunners.” They claim VAR “denied” Mikel Arteta’s side glory.
Mirror Sport and Daily Express share the same sense of injustice. With headlines such as “PENALTY NOTICE” and “PEN AND STINK,” they harshly criticize Dutch referee Danny Makkelie’s decision to reverse what had seemed a clear call in favor of the English side.
For the British tabloids, Gyökeres’s penalty goal was not enough compensation for what they see as an officiating display that deprived them of a greater reward. The feeling in London is that Arsenal were superior and that only technology prevented the tie from being all but decided in their favor.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
