Braga keeper reveals that the club is ready for Arsenal test
Sporting Braga goalkeeper, Luis Felipe Ventura Dos Santos (‘Felipe’), has insisted that his team is not afraid of the English Premier League giants Arsenal, as the sides clash in the UEFA Champions League tonight.
Braga is playing in the group stage for the first time after seeing off Scottish Premier League outfit Celtic and La Liga side Sevilla in qualifying matches. The club were afforded entry into the third qualifying round of the competition after finishing
second in the Portuguese league last season.
It is that experience which has led Felipe to declare his team ready to face Arsène Wenger’s men, who boast the likes of stars Francesc Fabregas and Andrei Arshavin. The 26-year-old goalkeeper told
Tribal Football that, “Those wins (against Celtic and Sevilla) have given us a lot of belief. We don't fear Arsenal. We know they will be favourites to win the group but we can still get through.”
"We want to be the surprise in this group and we believe we can go to Arsenal and leave London with a positive result. Fabregas is a great player and Arshavin is always a threat. But they have dangerous players missing, like [Theo] Walcott, and it will still
be hard for them."
Braga got the season off to a good start, having drawn 0-0 against Vitoria Setubal and beaten Maritimo 1-0, either side of their 4-3 second-leg play-off triumph over Sevilla. They also won their first match of the domestic season 3-1 against Portimonense.
But Braga will go into tonight’s match having suffered their first defeat of the campaign after league giants Porto won 3-2 on Saturday. Nevertheless, Braga is hoping that they can transform their good form in Portugal into success against the Gunners tonight.
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