Arsenal will be hoping to secure a Champions League win over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday evening as they look to maintain their 100 percent record in the competition this season.
Piero Hincapie might be feeling a bit apprehensive about Tuesday evening’s clash between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid, given that referee Davide Massa previously sent him off earlier this year.
The Gunners are set to lock horns with Atletico at the Emirates Stadium in a Champions League showdown, with Massa confirmed as the man in charge. The 44 year-old will be aided by Filippo Meli and Stefano Alassio, while Daniele Chiffi and Jerome Brisard will be handling VAR duties.
Matteo Marcenaro has been appointed as the fourth official for the match. Despite the selection of an Italian quartet and a Frenchman in the spirit of fairness between the Premier League contenders and the Spanish heavyweights, Hincapie might not be thrilled about playing under Massa’s watchful gaze.
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This is due to the fact that the Ecuadorian was shown a red card by the same referee back in January. At the time, he was playing for Bayer Leverkusen against Atletico and was dismissed for a second yellow card after fouling an Atletico player from behind to stop him from entering the box.
Atletico boss Diego Simeone will likely have stern words with his squad about their behaviour ahead of Tuesday’s encounter on English turf, especially since Massa also sent off Pablo Barrios just 23 minutes into the same game for a dangerous tackle.
Despite arriving at the Gunners on a season-long loan from Leverkusen this summer, Hincapie has struggled to establish himself under Mikel Arteta – managing just six minutes of action since his move. Nevertheless, that’s due to injury, rather than being a decision made by his Spanish boss.
However, Arteta confirmed during a pre-match press conference on Monday that Hincapie will be available for selection against Atletico. “Yeah, he will be available,” he said.
“I think that game (Saturday’s 1-0 away victory over Fulham) was a bit to early for him, but now he’s ready to go.”
Arteta may be cautious about rotating his squad, which has proven successful on English soil this season with Riccardo Calafiori particularly impressive at left-back.
Speaking about Simeone’s influence on Atletico ahead of the clash, Arteta said: “What he has done since he got to Atletico has been outstanding, not only what has achieved but the way he has done it.
“The identity he has created, they are simple and clear to identify because the manager is very much them. That’s very difficult to achieve, he’s been there 14 years and what he’s done is incredible.
“He is someone I look up to. His passion, how long he has been in the game, how he still has that capacity to transmit a willingness to win. To keep convincing players in this environment, you have to be extraordinarily good.”
Arsenal are aiming for a hat-trick of Champions League victories on Tuesday, having previously defeated Athletic Club and Olympiacos 2-0 in their earlier matches. Meanwhile, Atleti have had mixed fortunes in the tournament, with one win and one loss.
Simeone’s squad experienced a 3-2 defeat against Liverpool in September, but bounced back with a resounding 5-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt later that month. They’ll be looking to maintain this momentum as they continue their Champions League journey.
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
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