Champions League: Arsenal down Barcelona 2-1 at Emirates Stadium
Spanish giants Barcelona visited the Emirates Stadium to take on the English Premier League side Arsenal in the first leg of the UEFA Champion’s League Round of 16. Barcelona’s dreams were shattered as the Gunners took a 2-1 advantage going into the second
leg.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger played the best available squad. Frenchman http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Bacary-Sagna-c7148 did not make the final eleven due to suspension.
Josep Guardiola had http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Carles-Puyol-c8331 unfit for the game as Eric Abidal took his place. Barcelona’s dangerous forward line comprised David Vila, Pedro Rodriguez and Lionel Messi.
The Catalans got the half underway but it was the home side that looked superior in the first 10 minutes as English winger http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Robin-van-Persie-c31380 as Victor
Valdes cleared the ball.
The visitors looked to break through Messi but the Argentinean was fouled by http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Alex-Song-c4804 that saw him being booked inside the first 10 minutes. Guardiola’s side gradually got into their groove as the home side began to feel the pressure.
The Catalans suddenly applied their foot on the paddle as the Gunners were forced to defend. Messi received a perfect ball from Villa in the 15th minute but the magician’s attempted chip over Arsenal’s keeper http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Wojciech-Szczesny-c36998 went just whiskers away as
Arsenal survived.
The home side, amid all the pressure, got a real chance on the breakthrough Walcott and Cesc Fabregas, but the final ball was dealt effectively by Maxwell Andrade in the 25th minute. From this stage onwards, it was all Barcelona.
Immediately, on the 26th minute mark, Arsenal were robbed away by http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lionel-Messi-c22296 to get the all-important away goal.
Barca continued to apply pressure as Pedro’s tantalizing run was cut short by Szczesny. The Gunners started to feel the pressure as Nasri lost his head and got booked in the 28th minute. On the 38th minute mark, Messi’s headed goal was disallowed by the
referee for being in off side, much to the relief of the Arsenal fans and players.
Arsenal showed some signs of encouragement at the closing stages of the first half, but could not find the equaliser as the first 45 minutes just blew away to the advantage of the away side.
The home side started the second half with confidence as the attempted run from Van Persie was ruled off side in the 46th minute. The Catalans looked a bit tired in the opening seconds of the half as Jack Wilshere’s decent try was handed well by Valdes.
The Gunners were roaring with confidence in the second half, but lacked the finishing touch as the visitors looked to settle down by slowing the pace of the game before they could unleash themselves at Arsenal’s goal.
The pressure from the home side continued as another Walcott move was drilled over the bar by Robin Van Persie. The pressure resulted in a booking for Gerard Pique in the 58th minute which meant that the Spaniard will not be available for the Catalans when
they host Arsenal for the second leg.
Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta’s combination in the middle helped the visitors to settle down as the game just lost its flow for a few minutes in doing so.
Goal-scorer Villa was replaced by http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Andrei-Arshavin-c5771 in the 67th minute.
Time was passing for the Gunners to find an equalising goal as Wenger threw the last roll of the dice by bringing in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Nicklas-Bendtner-c27726 for the inspirational Walcott. Arsenal’s relentless pressure finally paid off in the 77th minute when Gael Clichy’s accurate
ball fell for the Dutch as he fired in a cracker past Valdes to bring Arsenal level.
The visitors for the first time in the game looked to be on the back foot as Arsenal continued to press even after the equaliser and from nowhere, Arshavin produced the second goal for the home side in the 83rd minute as the Gunners played the shots for
the first time in the match.
The visitors looked rattled probably for the first time in the season, but they kept on surging ahead to find an equalising goal in the closing stages.
The game ended with the home side victorious with a comfortable 2-1 on the scoreboard.
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