UCL: Nigeria’s captain mourns Atletico Madrid’s loss to Saka’s Arsenal

Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has openly shared her disappointment after Atletico Madrid were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Arsenal on Tuesday night, Soccernet.ng reports.

The decisive moment came at the Emirates Stadium, where Bukayo Saka scored the only goal of the second leg to hand Arsenal a 1-0 victory. That result, combined with the 1-1 draw from the first leg at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, ensured the Premier League side progressed with a 2-1 aggregate win.

It is a historic achievement for Arsenal, who have now reached the final of Europe’s top club competition for the first time since 2006. Back then, they fell short against Barcelona, but this latest run under Mikel Arteta signals a return to the elite level.

However, it was a night of frustration for Atletico Madrid. The Spanish side had hoped to reach their first Champions League final since 2016, but they fell just short despite a determined performance across both legs.

Ajibade, who previously spent four successful years with Atletico’s women’s team, winning the Copa de la Reina and the Supercopa de España, was among those backing the Spanish club. Her emotional connection to Atletico made the defeat even harder to take.

Shortly after the final whistle, she took to social media platform X with a blunt message to fans looking to taunt her: “I don’t wanna hear NOTHING from nobody. Absolutely nothing.”

Lookman’s Atletico fight hard but fall short at Emirates

On the pitch, Atletico Madrid were far from being terrible, especially in the second half, but they could not find the breakthrough they needed.

Arsenal’s goal arrived just before halftime. Saka reacted quickest after Jan Oblak saved an initial effort from Leandro Trossard, smartly finishing into an empty net to give the hosts the lead.

Atletico responded with urgency after the break. In the 51st minute, Giuliano Simeone had a clear chance to equalise after latching onto a poor headed back-pass inside the box. However, Arsenal defender Gabriel produced a crucial intervention to deny what looked like a certain goal.

Nigeria international Ademola Lookman, who started the match, was substituted in the 57th minute as Diego Simeone made a triple change in search of a goal.

The tactical switch showed Atletico’s intent, but Arsenal remained compact and dangerous on the counter.

The Gunners nearly doubled their advantage in the 66th minute when striker Viktor Gyokeres missed a big chance, but it did not prove costly. As the game entered its closing stages, tensions rose, with a few yellow cards shown as Atletico pushed forward desperately.

Despite the late pressure, Arsenal held firm until the final whistle, confirming their place in the final and ending Atletico’s European campaign.

The defeat caps off a disappointing 2025/26 season for Atletico Madrid, with the club now set to finish without a trophy despite early promise.