Barcelona vs Arsenal – UEFA Champions League: Match Preview
With Arsenal winning the first leg of this round-of-16 encounter between the Gunners and Barcelona, the second leg takes place on Tuesday 8th of March, 2011 at the Nou Camp to ascertain whether Pep Guardiola’s team will be upto the task of once again turning the tables on Arsene Wenger’s youthful side. Let’s take a look at how both the teams might line up for this crucial UEFA Champions League tie.
Barcelona
Unbeaten in their last four matches and after suffering only a single defeat in their last five competitive fixtures, Pep Guardiola’s team are now set to take on the Gunners in what must be a season defining encounter for the Spanish giants.
Barcelona are already firing on all cylinders in the Spanish Primera Division but Guardiola’s men know that true victory lies in winning the UEFA Champions League once again. Before the season started, Barcelona were outright favorites to win the European Cup title but their two goals to one defeat at the Emirates stadium has dented their charge temporarily.
Last season when Arsenal came calling to Nou Camp in their second leg of the quarter-final stage of UEFA Champions League competition, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lionel-Messi-c22296 took matters into his own hands and annihilated the English giants as Barcelona won by four goals to one in the end. Xavi Hernandez and co. will be hoping that history repeats itself this time around as well on Tuesday night in Catalunia.
Arsenal
The Gunners are still seething from their Carling Cup final defeat to Birmingham City, a humiliation which was followed up by further disappointment as Sunderland managed to hold Arsene Wenger’s team to a mere draw at Emirates stadium on the previous weekend. Ranked second in the English Premier League table, Arsenal have a gargantuan task to perform at Nou Camp on 8th of March.
Despite the fact that Arsenal travel to http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Spain-c3011 with a one goal lead due to their win in the first leg of this round-of-16 encounter, Barcelona’s almost uncontrollable firepower means that another heroic performance will be needed from the likes of Wilshere and Koscielny to deny Barcelona a place in the quarterfinals.
Last season, Arsenal disintegrated at Nou Camp due to Lionel Messi’s four goal haul but Wenger’s men were short of their match winners as several of their key stars were injured for the contest which took place on 6th of April, 2010. This time, Wenger has a substantially fit squad albiet a fragile one, there can be no excuses this time around as six trophy-less years have brought the Gunners’ faithful onto their knees.
Team News
Barcelona are set to be without http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Barcelona-c38605 will have the services of Xavi Hernandez and Victor Valdes as both have recovered from a few niggling knocks over the past two weeks.
Expected Barcelona Line up: Victor Valdes, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/David-Villa-c10629, Lionel Messi, Pedro Rodriguez
Arsenal are anticipated to hold a late fitness test on http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Theo-Walcott-c34873 is a sure shot absentee due to his achilles injury. Alexander Song is also a doubt for the match due to his hamstring injury.
Expected Arsenal Line up: Szczesny, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Nicklas-Bendtner-c27726, Andrey Arshavin
Key Players
Barcelona will surely bank on Lionel Messi to turn the tables for them, the Argentinean forward has now got a massive responsibility to pull his team out of the mess that they find themselves in. With six goals in his past seven games, Messi has the ability to turn this tie on it’s head.
Arsenal’s star midfielder Cesc Fabregas returns just in time for this match-up and returning to his home club, Fabregas will be gunning on all fronts to prove his critics wrong. A target for Barcelona in the summer transfer window of 2010, Fabregas will be tasked by Arsenal Wenger to run the midfield show for Arsenal at Nou Camp, if there is anyone who can do it on Arsenal’s side, it is the World Cup winning midfielder.
Prediction
This encounter is so finely balanced that anything can happen in the match, both the teams are well and capable of outplaying each other but given Arsenal’s win in the first leg, they will be the underdogs for this tie. Prediction: 1-1
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