Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal Bet Builder Tips: Tackles on top in 11/2 shot

Atletico Madrid and Arsenal have already met once this season in the Uefa Champions League, back in the league phase last October, when the Gunners blitzed Los Rojiblancos 4-0 at the Emirates Stadium. The two teams meet again, this time in the semi-finals, with Wednesday's first leg played at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid (20:00 BST, TNT Sports 1).

Below are my Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal Bet Builder Tips as I serve up an 11/2 shot from four selections.

Atletico Madrid Total Tackles - Over 15.5

Only Real Madrid (261) have made more tackles in this season’s Champions League than Atletico (223), who are averaging 15.92 per game.

Atletico recorded a whopping 27 tackles last time out in the competition at home to FC Barcelona, and they’ve registered at least 17 in their last five European outings.

Diego Simeone’s side were thumped 4-0 by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on October 21 in a league phase game, but they still made 21 tackles, and in a high-stakes home match on Wednesday, 16 looks more than achievable.

Koke (ATM) Total Tackles - 2+

Of the 16+ I expect to be recorded by Atletico, I’m confident Koke can account for at least two, with the Spaniard averaging 2.70 per 90 minutes in this season’s Champions League.

The 34-year-old played the first 63 minutes of his side’s heavy defeat at Arsenal in October, recording two tackles before being replaced by Conor Gallagher, who now plies his trade at the Gunners’ north London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.

Koke has made at least two tackles in eight of his 14 competition appearances this season, including seven of his nine starts.

Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal Odds

Declan Rice (ARS) Total Tackles - 2+

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has only registered nine tackles from 10 appearances (eight starts), but he tends to be more tenacious in the big games, recording two at home to Atletico in October.

In the Premier League, the 27-year-old has registered 2+ tackles home and away to Manchester City (two, three), away to Newcastle United (three), home and away to Tottenham Hotspur (four, three), home and away to Chelsea (three, two), away to Aston Villa (two), home to Liverpool (two) and at home to Manchester United (two).

Away in Madrid, I expect the England international to lead the charge for the Gunners, crunching into challenges in the middle of the park.

Robin Le Normand (ATM) Total Fouls Committed - 2+

Atletico defender Robin Le Normand endured a difficult evening at the Emirates in October, conceding three fouls and receiving a yellow card as his side were hit for four by Mikel Arteta’s side.

Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres ran riot in north London, scoring with two of his three shots, as well as winning four fouls, and it was an offence committed against the Sweden international that resulted in Le Normand’s 75th-minute booking.

Le Normand is averaging 1.2 fouls per 90 in this season’s Champions League, and he committed two fouls in each of Atletico’s quarter-final legs against Barcelona.

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