The Soccer Blog: Barcelona - Arsenal Preview

Monday, 7 March 2011

Barcelona - Arsenal Preview

Barcelona – Arsenal Preview - The Offside - Arsenal blog

« Arsenal – Sunderland Highlights; Wilshere Fit for Barca | Home | Barcelona – Arsenal PreviewBy: Martin | March 7th, 2011
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Massive match tomorrow as we travel to Barcelona to have a showdown with a team that’s been called by many the greatest club side ever.

Obviously the 2-1 victory in the first leg was one of the bigger results in recent memory for us, and probably the best atmosphere we’ve ever seen at the Emirates Stadium. And the comeback win was undeniably electric. The feeling after the win was that this was a team taking a huge step forward, that was finally capable of greatness, and that was going to use that great performance and great night as a springboard to greater things. Several weeks, numerous key injuries, a lackluster cup final loss to Birmingham and a 0-0 draw at home to a team that had lost 4 matches in a row coming into the match later, I think we’re feeling significantly less optimistic about things.

Last year, of course, we got absolutely owned in this fixture. After Bendtner’s early goal gave us 3 minutes of hoping and dreaming that we may just find a way to get a result out of this one, Barcelona and Messi took over, and his 4 unanswered goals saw us slink home eliminated from the Champions League. We’ll be hoping to avoid a repeat of that this year, but it could be a big ask.

Barcelona are just really, really good. And the Camp Nou can be a very intimidating atmosphere. And they obviously felt they deserved to win the first leg, and will be looking to make up for that with a flawless performance on the return leg. In other words, I’m not sure there’s a tougher fixture on the planet than the one that faces us tomorrow.

And the injuries obviously make it a lot tougher. In addition to the long-term absentees in Flaps, Vermaelen, and Frimpong, we’ll be missing van Persie and Walcott (UPDATE: Shockingly, we may not be missing van Persie, who was in full training today and traveled with the squad to Barcelona. I’m not sure how fit he is, and I would still be somewhat surprised if he starts, but at the very least it’s good news going forward, because that means he’ll be available for upcoming league fixtures. More discussion of this development in the comments section.). Those are huge losses — van Persie’s form made him the equal of any striker in the world at the time of his injury, which he proved by scoring from a seemingly impossible angle in the first-leg. And a team like Barca which keeps the ball so much and plays such a high defensive line is very vulnerable to be hit quickly with pace, and very few players in the world are as effective at providing that as Theo. I think going into this tie, Theo was the guy Barca was most worried about, and we don’t really have anyone else who can provide what he provides, and his absence means Barca’s backline can pinch up a bit higher and feel a bit more secure in their position. It also sounds like Song is almost certainly out, but in a rare bit of good news, Cesc is apparently “90 percent” to travel and play.

If there’s any hope, it’s likely down to Barca’s injuries and absences. Specifically, both of Barca’s starting center backs, Pique and Puyol, will miss out, due to suspension and injury, respectively. That will hopefully give us a few more scoring opportunities — from what I hear, Peek-a-Busquets will come back in from midfield, and Abidal will shift in from the left to make a backline of Maxwell-Abidal-Busquets-Alves, with Seydou Keita or Mascherano coming into the midfield to play the holding/possession role usually played by Busquets.

But we can’t score if we don’t touch the ball, which was the problem last year. And for as much credit as Barcelona gets for their attacking (and deservedly so, don’t get me wrong), their defensive record is excellent. This is partly due to just how good their attack is, because they maintain so much possession so deep in the opposition half, but their defenders and keeper don’t get enough credit.

I think the key to this match will be weathering the storm early. Barca will be looking to just blitz us — close us down whenever we have the ball anywhere on the pitch, bomb forward into the box, and hopefully serve notice that they will dominate this match early. If they do, they can get their fans into it, take our fans out of it, and get our players discouraged. But if we can stay composed, withstand the pressure, and play well early, I think the pressure will start to shift onto them because of the aggregate score, and they may get a bit flustered and make some mistakes. If we can make it to about the 30 minute mark with the score tied, I think we have a decent chance at advancing.

Because even if Barca are “unbeatable,” that’s fine by us because we don’t have to beat them in this one. Just to remind you of the position, we won the first leg 2-1. Which means that any win or any draw by us sends us through. Any loss by 2 goals or more sees Barca through. A 1-0 loss sends Barca through, a 2-1 loss goes to penalties, and any other one-goal loss sees us through on away goals. Going in there having to get a win would be a huge ask, but getting out with a draw or a narrow loss gives us a much better chance. If we play a good game and get a bit of luck, I think we could just about do it.

In team news for us, it’s injuries, as always. Like I mentioned, van Persie, Theo, Flaps, Vermaelen, and Frimpong are all out. Song is very doubtful, Cesc is questionable but will play if at all possible. Here’s my best guess at a lineup:

Wojo

Sagna-Koscielny-Djourou-Clichy

Wilshere-Denilson

Nasri-Cesc-Arshavin

Bendtner

Bench: Almunia, Squillaci, Gibbs, Eboue, Diaby, Rosicky, Chamakh

Wojo will start. And I think our first-choice back-line guys will definitely start as well. Wilshere is fit and he starts. A big question is who starts alongside him. Wenger loves Diaby, and it certainly wouldn’t surprise me if he were to get a start, but I think it will be Denilson starting alongside Jack. Denilson was awful against Sunderland on Saturday, but so was Diaby, and Denilson’s strength is helping us retain possession, which will be a huge challenge tomorrow. He did actually play quite well against Barca last year, I thought — lost in all the hubbub about how Theo’s introduction turned the first leg of the tie on its head was that Denilson’s half-time substitution really stabilized the team and gave us a platform from which to get back into the match.

If Cesc starts it’s pretty easy to see how everyone else will fall into place. But if he’s not fit enough to do it, it gets quite a bit trickier. Arshavin will definitely start on one of the flanks. Bendtner will definitely start, it’s just a question of whether it’s up top or out on the right. Nasri will definitely start as well, it’s just a question of whether it’s in the advanced midfield role or out wide to the right. If Nasri starts in the middle, it’s possible that Rosicky will play out to the right, but more likely Bendtner will play out there and Chamakh will start up top. But if Bendtner starts up top and Nasri on the right, the central midfield role will likely be played by Rosicky, or Wilshere pushing forward with Diaby playing alongside Denilson (or, possibly, Diaby). But I think Nasri is the guy who gives us the best chance in the “Cesc role” if Cesc can’t play it.

It’ll be interesting to see who gets left off the bench — I think it will almost certainly be either Gibbs or Ramsey (UPDATE: It won’t be Ramsey, who wasn’t registered as part of our Champions League roster and who didn’t travel. And if van Persie is fit enough to make the squad, Gibbs will probably miss out as well. Still, tough to beat a free trip to Barcelona and free tickets to the game, eh?).

It’s a huge match. Given the history between the two sides in the last 5 years, what a truly, truly great team they are, the atmosphere of Camp Nou, the quality of football which will be on display, this game is as good an example as you can find of what the Champions League is all about. Win, lose, or draw, this will be one we won’t soon forget. As I wrote in my recap of the first match, that match showed a perfect vision of the club at its best, what Arsenal is capable of. What we’ve seen in the weeks since that match (draws against third division Leyton Orient and a banged-up Sunderland side in very poor form, a cup final loss to Birmingham) have shown us how far Arsenal have to go before we can reach those heights consistently. Which version of Arsenal will show up tomorrow — the version we can be at our best and we hope and wish we could be all the time, or the version we can be at our worst which have made us shout at the television so many times in recent years?

I honestly don’t know, and have no feeling for this one. We’ll find out tomorrow. Like the old Reebok commercials used to say “…to be settled…in Barcelona.” I posted this bit of inspiration in my preview for the first leg, so let’s do it again.

So screw those guys — Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, and the rest of them. They’ve had their time. This is our time.

Victoria Concordia Crescit. Come on Arsenal.

***************

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Category: Arsenal News, Champions League, Fixtures, Preview

Tags: Arsenal News, Champions League, Fixtures, Preview
Tweet « Arsenal – Sunderland Highlights; Wilshere Fit for Barca | Home | SairaxOk. So. Show of hands. Denilson or Diaby?

I'll go........uhh.......Denilson.

Your turn.Darren_VMan... so many comments already! I JUST was able to load this page, first time todaySairaxSomething just occurred to me. Last season we wore those hideous Tottenham looking kits at the Camp Nou which was such a jinx. You don't wear white when playing Barcelona, it enrages them or something. I don't mind the yellow for this season, but I am vehemently against the yellow shorts. I think we don't play well in the full banana. Rhubarb and custard would be fine imo, but I think Barca has claret shorts this season? This is quite important. Any thoughts?Homey_MillsSo you're saying that the reason why we lost was not because we had about 8 key injuries and were playing the best team in the world. Rather, it was because of the color of our shirts. Hmmm... well it's a theory, anyway.SairaxDamn good theory tooDarren_VSounds like the best theory to me!PacoWow, classy acting from your club, respect!
Last year it was Cesc who suddenly was healed and appeared in the first leg. You know how it ended...WolffyHear the news Van Persie will travel with the team to Spain and he practiced on Monday. Think there is any chance he will start tomorrow?MartinPlease note that I am NOT saying this to get anyone's hopes up or to somehow suggest that van Persie will play tomorrow, but it is interesting to note that he is in full training with the first team again, which probably bodes well for him making a return sometime soon. I still think it will be after the international break, but hopefully right after the international break, when we have a very tough run of league fixtures.jturphyTHANK GOD!! van Persie is back for Barca!!! You made my day Martin.MartinHa. It is interesting, because Wenger initially said he had torn ligaments but in the pictures he definitely looked like he was running close to full-speed and did not appear to be wearing a brace.

But having had some fairly serious knee issues myself, I know that you can sometimes have injuries which don't effect you at all when running straight, but can be excruciating if you try to plant your leg and turn or move laterally at all. So maybe it's one of those things. But it may be that the injury just isn't as serious as originally feared. Regardless, I am taking the original diagnosis at face value until I hear otherwise, and not expecting to see him back on the pitch until April.tinomuvonga mI'd rather he didn't play at all. We need Van Persie in the league more than we need him in Champions league. The league is in our hands. If RVP and Cesc are fit for the remaining games it will be ours. The Champions League, has way too many obstacles.MartinI tend to agree with you. If there's any doubt about his fitness, let him rest. The Champions League and FA Cup are great, but my focus is on the league -- I think we have a really good chance to win it this year.SairaxLast minute impact sub maybe? I'd be cool with that. So long as he doesn't get injured
SairaxIt's official. He's in the squad http://www.arsenal.com/news/ne...MartinAll I could think about when I heard the news:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...SairaxThough apparently, 19 man squad listed will be cut to 18 tomorrow? So he still may not be in squad. Song not listed btwSairaxTwitter is definitely trying to get my hopes up. I will expect nothing though. Nothing I tell you! Nothing!MartinYeah. I'm making a conscious decision to stay off Twitter for the next few days for the sake of my productivity at work and my mental health, so it's all you until mid-week.SairaxOk, but if I end up on the news, it's your fault.Sairax"I think the key to this match will be weathering the storm early. Barca will be looking to just blitz us — close us down whenever we have the ball anywhere on the pitch, bomb forward into the box, and hopefully serve notice that they will dominate this match early."

Absolutely. They could pummel us so we can't fall asleep for a second.Alex PresidioYeah I think we have to start fast. We aren't too good against fast teams when we ourselved don't counter with pace. Not saying it's because of a weak D (I think they're fine) I just think it sets up a tough mentality that our team doesn't respond to very well.SairaxNot having Song is a bit mixed for me. He is clearly our best DM, but in both games he played against Barcelona he was poor. Both of those games he could have easily been sent off. I suspect he wouldn't get much leeway at Camp Nou and actually could get sent off if he played there. Barca's players are just a bit too quick and nimble for him I think.

As long as our backline isn't nervous, I'm fine with them. They did well in the first leg and it's the strongest backline we've had all season. As for the Diaby/Denilson conundrum.....I'm on the fence. Diaby is full of talent and skill, but I can't remember the last time he's had a great performance against a big team. Against Barcelona he looked downright scared in the 1st leg and just not great in the 2nd. (Remember when he passed to Bendtner instead of Theo oohhhhh I think I jumped up from my couch! We would have been in!) I just wonder if Diaby will rise to the occasion. i have my doubts (watch him prove me wrong now lol)

Denilson has not looked particularly good all season BUT he was excellent when he came on against Barca in the 1st leg last season. He calmed things down in the midfield and we saw slightly more possession. If he's on his game I'd pick him. He's more suited to playing against a spanish side than a tough, bruising english side. BUT he hasn't been on form recently and I think Wenger is reluctant to play him with Jack.

Not having Theo isn't bothering me as much. I know people talk about his pace, but I think that was more damaging to Barca when they were tiring and we brought him on as a sub and he scored. Incidentally, bringing Bendtner on helped as well because he provided Theo with the assist, which people forget. When Theo started, he was not as effective because he didn't have any room. Better as an impact sub in this particular case (I stress, in this case. I still think he's proved himself as a starter). As for pace, you'll notice we broke on the counter leading up to Arshavin's goal when Theo wasn't on the pitch, so I think people underestimate our abilities there.

Bendtner I think will do fine. He's big and strong and he made a difference against Barcelona in both legs last season and in the last game too. His influence has been overlooked I think. Plus, he scored at Camp Nou, so we know he is capable of doing it. Cesc, thank god he's fit. No one else plays that role quite like him and he will have a hunger for this one. Nasri needs to keep it simple and do his thing. Arshavin could be a game changer. I think with him being on form, he provides us options Theo cannot. His movement can beat defenders in a unique way and he can worm his way into goal scoring positions AND provide assists. Plus we've never lost a CL game when he's played (think about that). Theo can be stopped easier because of his kick-and-rush sort of style, but Arshavin keeps the ball at his feet and I think he could really thrive in this game if he plays well (please god let him have a good game).

Enough rambling. Sorry for the long post.axelwe havent lost a CL game with Arshavin starting!!amazing fact that..u just raised my hopes a lot..why am i quietly confident for tom??!!
ashes to ashes,dust to dust
if theo van can't do it, nasregas must!!vHFYes, it is strange how quick and nimble the Barca players are despite the overwhelming, Jupiter-like gravitation of every pitch they play on...

Still I would prefer to have Song than not. I am not convinced that 60 minutes of Song and 30 minutes of playing with 10 men is worse than 90 minutes of Denilson. I am serious.tinomuvonga mWow! The anti-Denilson sentiment is really strong here. You'd think Denilson is the sole reason for Arsenal not winning games. He has started 68 games for Arsenal, was he worthless in every one of them? He was injured most of last season but still managed 6 goals and 2 assists in 20 appearances.

All I am saying is that he HAS a role to play in the squad and we shouldn't overlook his value.SairaxNo RvP is a big loss though :( And Wojo can keep us in a game in a way that Almunia just can't. (Don't get me started on all the goals we conceded to Barca last year)vHFAs quick as I am in Almunia-bashing, I have to say this is unfair. He did keep Arsenal in the tie during the first leg last year.

Now, to catch a corner, that's a different matter...SairaxThe first half maybe. Check the 2 goals in the 2nd.vHFThe first half, indeed. Didn't he save sth like 4 one-on-ones there? I can forgive the two in the second half then.

What puzzles me, on this forum and others, is how quickly everybody embraced Szczesny as the new Goal Messiah. Granted, he's been excellent so far, but a shocker performance from him is still to come (for Wembley was not a shocker, though close) and it will come. Hopefully not tomorrow.

For me Fabianski should be no. 1 again as soon as he recovers. I would also---just about---prefer him in his pre-injury form to Szczesny tomorrow. Alas, neither shall happen.tinomuvonga mI agree on you point towards Fabianski and never though I would ever hear anyone say that Fabianski should be no. 1 when he recovers. People are head over heals in love with Szczesny but Fabianski has worked hard to correct his errors. He also has much better distribution that Szczesny which is just as important as making saves.SairaxI think Fabianski was doing fine this season. It's a shame he got injured whilst on such a good run of form. Haven't even heard anything about him recently. I hope he's recovering well. Szczesny's our future. He will be fantastic one day I think, but you're right, he still needs time to improve and grow as a player. He's filled in quite well as our number one so far so that's really good to see.VchitownI'm going to have go with Denilson in the holding midfielder position, while he gets bullied in the premier league, la liga teams are smaller and definitely less physical in the midfield which suits Denilson much better and allows him to play his game very well. Either way, I can't wait for this match.ZickarDiaby is sloppy but he does keep the ball well , much better than Denilson but that's not saying much .. IMO Diaby is very skilled with his feet and was finding form earlier but he is the kind of players I won't risk in big matches ... RAMSEY , Why don't we play Ramsey !tinomuvonga mI watched Ramsey's last match for Nottingham Forest and he looked rusty. His touch just wasn't quite right. It will be interesting to see which game Wenger decides to re-introduce him. West Brom as a very late substitute would be my guess.MartinIt will be interesting to see -- wouldn't surprise me if he got into the Manchester United FA Cup match this weekend on Saturday.

But I've always thought Wenger wants his return to the lineup to come in a home game so he can get the full effect of the crowd welcoming him back, so I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't until after the international break.tinomuvonga m"But I've always thought Wenger wants his return to the lineup to come in a home game so he can get the full effect of the crowd welcoming him back"

Good point!SairaxYes, let's start Ramsey. Ramsey who hasn't played a game for Arsenal, not even as a sub, in a year. Ramsey, who has been on loan with a Championship side and isn't back to his best yet. Ramsey who hasn't played in the Premiership yet for a year, but we'll give him his first start back in a massive Champions League game against the best side on the planet. Yeah, let's do that.ZickarBetter than Denilson or DiabySairaxNot to mention, Ramsey is not listed in our Champions League squad and can't play anyway.Homey_MillsSo you're saying that the Martin was wrong to suggest that Ramsey could be on the bench for this one?SairaxRamsey was not registered for CL with Arsenal. He was not listed in the squad http://www.arsenal.com/news/ne...EaritaEboue Might save the situation at defence. he is agressive under pressure.

please win thins for us...............Illinois GoonerI think I sense a touch of sarcasm. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but I like it.MartinI have not watched Ramsey play this year, but from people whose opinion I generally trust who have watched him, he is nowhere near being back to the player he was before the injury.blog comments powered by Disqus