Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisLUFC22
Damien, do you believe that Arsenal can go through? I think if they go there and, not necessarily "park the bus", but be a bit more cautious than they normally would, they stand a really good chance. Although I would expect Barca will throw everything they've got at ya. Imagine a Spurs Arsenal tie at some stage, with both teams not exactly keen on defending that would be some tie...
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Arsenal cannot park the bus, or even go into a game looking to preserve a lead from the first leg. If we don't go for it, we're going out. Let's bear in mind that a team far better equipped to hold Barcelona out, Inter, with a manager who excels at just that, Mourinho, went there last year and still lost 1 - 0 with a perfectly valid Barcelona goal ruled out.
The best chance we have is to play as we did in the first leg. We'll attack but we'll accept that they will have more of the ball than us, and we'll press them as much as we can. Arsenal have been so much better off the ball this season, we press in a fashion similar to Barcelona do. What I think we learnt is that while we can't out Barcelona them, we can do it for longer than them. If we're still in the game by 60th min, then we stand a chance. The worry will be surviving the first half, we were 3 - 1 down by that time last year.
I don't think we'll do it. Barcelona are by far the best team in the world and it's one thing having an idea how to beat them, quite another executing on it.
Spurs vs Arsenal? Possible, would rather not. I find it ironic that the closest team to Arsenal in teams of style in the Premier League are also the closest in terms of distance! However in much the same way Barcelona beat us, I think we would beat them. We play a similar game but Arsenal have better passers of the ball, and better pressing off it. Over the two legs I fancy beating them. Of course look at the game this year to show it wouldn't be easy....