Soccer: Attack The Best Bet Against Barcelona

Barcelona.

They are the Kings of Europe and the current benchmark for football clubs all over Europe. They were quite possible the one team that no one wanted to draw in the Champions League, regardless of the stage.

However, the gods of football were in a very generous mood when the ties were revealed, with the two best footballing sides on the planet, Arsenal and Barcelona, drawn together in the Champions League Quarter-Final.

It is a tantalizing prospect.

No other team in the world can match these two when it comes to passing play. They never compromise their style, sticking with flamboyant, flair-y football in the face of any opponent. Their philosophy is admirable and it shows that there is still beauty in modern play.

Obviously, Arsenal are the underdogs going into this two-legged series. Barcelona, after all, are the reigning Champions of Europe. They boast players such as Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and of course, Lionel Messi. The diminutive talisman will go into this Quarter-Final off the back of a hatful of goal-scoring outings.

One cannot pin one Arsenal player on this man. Handling him will not be down to Gael Clichy alone. Alexandre Song, Andrey Arshavin, and Thomas Vermaelen will have to be extremely coordinated as Messi will undoubtedly drift away from the touchline in to the right-hand sector just outside the penalty box.

Song and his midfield partners will also have to be wary of the sublime skills of Andres Iniesta and the incredible passing range of Xavi if they are to choke Barcelona's supply line.

What Arsenal cannot do is get nervous because when that happens, one tends to sit back and allow the opponents to set the tone and dictate the tempo of the game.

Fabregas, Diaby, Nasri, and Rosicky (depending on who starts) will have to grab the midfield by the throar and control it before Xavi and Iniesta get too comfortable or Sol Campbell and Thomas Vermaelen are going to have a torrid time.

Arsenal's attacking philosophy will be very encouraging however. Barcelona's only league losses this season have come against Atletico Madrid and Sevilla. Both of these squads are attacking teams.

They show that by being positive, one can get a result against Barcelona. Players like Fabregas, Arshavin, Nasri, Diaby, and Rosicky will relish the space to pass that Barcelona will undoubtedly leave, exploiting any hole in midfield before laying off a killer pass to a midfield partner or to the competent Nicklas Bendtner.

Bendtner is certainly an anomaly, but he will be crucial in this match as well. He is the only Arsenal player other than Abou Diaby and Alex Song who can match up to Barcelona's defense in terms of physique.

He will look to receive the ball with his back to goal and allow his technically superior team-mates to construct attacks with him as the support.

Many say that it is nigh impossible for Arsenal to Barcelona.

They are wrong, simple as that.

It has nothing to do with Henry's return to North London or Fabregas' homecoming of sorts to the Nou Camp. It's about the two most beautiful teams in the world going at it and producing what will most likely be a classic football match.

P.S.- Come on you Arsenal!