Football Special Report: Arsene Wenger predicts his side will draw Barcelona
Arsene Wenger has a strong feeling that his team will be playing the only pure football team of Europe – Barcelona. Last season, Lionel Messi completely battered Arsene Wenger’s side but the French manager is confident that his side has what it takes to
overcome the odds. His expectations for Arsenal are getting high as the knockout stage of the Champions League is just around the corner. Finishing as runners-up in Group H, they can just have one of four opponents excluding Manchester United, Chelsea and
Tottenham and are expected to be paired with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Schalke with the first leg in a match at their home ground.
Sir Bobby Charlton and former Liverpool midfielder Ronnie Whelan will be having the key to Arsenal’s fate as they’re set to take out the draws for the last 16 made at UEFA’s Nyon headquarters today. Arsene Wenger has convinced himself and his team that there
will be a rematch with Barcelona with a different result this time as compared to the last season. He’s keeping his fingers crossed after watching a shocking defeat to Jose Mourinho’s side by Barcelona 5-0 this season.
“On the night Barcelona were outstanding and played at a high pace. It was some of the best football I’ve ever seen. Their play for 90 minutes was exceptionally well. The best part about their game was that they had no weak point in their defense the
entire game. They were keen to play outstanding football and was seen on the pitch. The quality was unbelievable. When you see a performance like that you are encouraged to get to that level. It is good that teams show how well you can play football. It was
the best performance of the season in European football.”
Barcelona’s performance last season at the Camp Nou stadium was worth watching. Lionel Messi proved himself to be a genius at his work but somehow Arsene Wenger’s squad managed a 2-2 draw thanks to Nicklas Bendtner’s strike.
“If we had taken the chance at 1-0, when we had a two against one break, we could have won it,”
added Wenger. And if the ref doesn’t give offside when Bendtner is clean through, because he was not offside, we could have been 2-0 up. But over the two ties I must say we lost to the better team. When you look at the four teams we could get, players
like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Franck Ribery at Bayern and even Raul at Schalke, you will be assured you will see great players. But I know who we will get! It doesn’t matter who I want. If I say we want Barcelona you won’t believe me. I don’t even think about
it. I hope we get who I feel we will get.
He further went on to say that there are advantages and disadvantages on both sides - the Germans have a good break in winter and are fresh in spring, the Spanish teams are more favourites at the moment but that can change in two months.
Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea will have the privilege to play any side on their home ground in the second leg as they’ve topped their respective groups. Schalke, mid-table in the German league are the side Arsenal would want to play against. Suffering
away goals in the first leg is something every manager especially Arsene Wenger wouldn’t want. Chelsea and Manchester United can get a draw against Inter Milan, leaving Spurs out to play against them. Although these three Premier League sides can get a draw
against AC Milan who are currently on the top of Serie A. Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a press conference said that his team is ready to face anyone, and are strong enough to beat them by leaps and bounds.
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