Mikel Arteta said Arsenal are ready to tackle any scenario amid warnings of ‘significant danger’ caused by storms which are set to hit Madrid on Wednesday ahead of their Champions League semi-final showdown against Atletico Madrid.
Severe conditions are expected across the Madrid Metropolitan Area, with fans heading to Spain advised to stay alert and monitor local updates.
Spain’s national weather service Aemet reported that tomorrow will bring 30mm of rainfall within a single hour, with the alert active from 12pm in the afternoon through to 10pm – which is beyond the game’s expected finish time.
The forecast warns of ‘significant danger’ from storms, alongside ‘very strong gusts’ of wind and ‘occasionally hail’.
It comes as the Metropolitano Stadium has faced recent flak for the state of its pitch, which has caused problems for Atletico’s recent victims in Europe. Last month, the Metropolitano Stadium turf stymied Tottenham in their 5-2 first leg defeat by the Spanish side in the Champions League round of 16 on a slippery surface.
And Barcelona raised concerns to UEFA about the grass length before their quarter-final second leg defeat earlier this month.
Arsenal will face Atletico Madrid amid ‘significant danger’ caused by storms coming in
Mikel Arteta admitted that Arsenal will have to ‘adapt’ to meet the challenge of the weather
Ahead of Wednesday’s first leg, Arteta said: ‘We adapt to any context. And for the last nine months, imagine the amount of games we have played, given that we have played in different scenarios, different contexts, with different opponents.
‘So we adapt to the conditions tomorrow in the best possible way to be ourselves and win the game.’
Martin Odegaard, meanwhile, has called on Arsenal to learn from their past heartbreak and provide ‘something special’ to overcome Atletico in their own backyard.
He said: ‘Tomorrow is another great opportunity for us to do something special and we know what’s there and we just have to enjoy it and be ready for it.
‘As you said, take all the lessons you know from the past and bring it into this end of the season and I’m sure we’re going to do that. Looking forward to it.
‘How can you not enjoy it? I think we’re playing in probably the toughest and most competitive league in the world and we’re at the top, fighting for the title, winning and playing in the semi-final in the Champions League.
‘I mean, for me it’s hard to understand how you cannot enjoy that. That’s what we’ve been dreaming about our whole life, you know, since I was a kid.
‘It’s the best part of the season and everyone is ready for it,. The energy in the group is amazing and we’re ready for it.’
