BIG MATCH ANALYSIS
HOW CAN ARSENAL BEAT BARCELONA IN THE FIRST LEG?
JAMIE CARRAGHER
THE best hope Arsenal have of getting a first-leg advantage is to forget about trying to out-pass Barcelona and instead play a more direct style.
They have to look to exploit Javier Mascherano’s lack of height by firing balls into Olivier Giroud.
Arsenal had success against Bayern Munich in the group stage, when Giroud scored the first in a 2-0 win at The Emirates Stadium, playing in just such a way. That is something they need to remember.
MARTIN KEOWN
THEy need a combination of keeping possession when they win the ball back and trying to catch Barcelona out with longer passes, particularly into the channels. Barcelona test your ability on the ball by pressing you, running around in a frantic fashion. If you’re calm, play three or four passes, you’ll keep it and they’ll melt away; if you panic, they will win it back.
If you can combine that with some early long balls at decisive moments you can punish their full backs. Arsene Wenger might be toying with the idea of playing Danny Welbeck up top, depending on his fitness. His pace could give him the edge over Olivier Giroud for this match. With Alexis Sanchez out on the left, Wenger will need Mesut Ozil feeding them the right passes.
JAMIE REDKNAPP
AT THE moment, nobody can seem to find a way to beat Barcelona. It is about beating that initial press when you have ball in your own half. If you do that, you can beat Barca’s back four, but it’s easier said than done. Ask Gary Neville — he’ll tell you how difficult it is. Arsenal must be extremely brave on the ball because if you lose it in your own half, you can find it’s in the back of the net before you know it. My feeling is Wenger will go with Olivier Giroud for set pieces and height. Arsenal must make set pieces count — especially free-kicks in wide areas. But they will have to play the perfect game to get out of this one unscathed.
WHO IS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO ARSENAL: NEYMAR, SUAREZ OR MESSI?
REDKNAPP
MESSI — he always has been and always will be. Without Suarez or Neymar, Barcelona are still amazing, but Messi takes them to another level. They can survive without the others but not without Messi. If he’s missing you’ve got a chance. The other two are incredible but Messi is from another planet.
CARRAGHER
I CAN’T believe I’m not going to say Lionel Messi for this answer but it has to be Luis Suarez. He is the best centre forward in the world at the moment.
He is enjoying his football and the chemistry between him, Messi and Neymar is something that we have never seen before.
He’s gone to a different level from the form he showed for Liverpool and he will want to show crowds in England what they are missing.
KEOWN
IT STILL has to be Lionel Messi. Luis Suarez is undoubtedly their most in- form player this season and Neymar covers so much ground for them, but Messi missed a large part of the campaign through injury and is back now. He’s still the king.
The front three enable Barcelona to set up what I’d call the Barcelona footballing map. Their movement off the ball is as exceptional as it is on it. Suarez pushes high and central, Messi is on the right drifting inside and Neymar is wide left. When Messi has the ball, Neymar is virtually touching the touchline and Suarez is forcing the centre halves back. It also allows Andres Iniesta or Sergi Roberto to move into the space and if one player adopts a different position, another replaces them. Messi is still the crucial component in all of that.
SUM UP BARCELONA IN THREE WORDS...
CARRAGHER
DECADE of domination.
REDKNAPP
CHANGED football forever.
KEOWN
MESSI, Suarez, Neymar.
KEOWN
THERE has always been a tight first leg between these two in the knockout stages, so it’s most likely to be a draw. 2-2.
REDKNAPP
1-1. Arsenal must ride their luck, but I do think they can nick a draw.
CARRAGHER
BARCELONA are unstoppable and will win 2-1.