Champions League Preview: Arsenal Looking to Progress at Barcelona's Expense

Barcelona vs Arsenal

Arsenal successfully prevailed in the first leg against Barcelona, but they know that doing the same in the second round is going to be extremely difficult. Barcelona has an outstanding record at the Camp Nou, and it is going to be a mean feat if Arsenal does manage to hold onto their slender, one-goal advantage.

Barcelona will be quietly confident, having scored the all-important away goal, which should provide them with some cushion—although, it would not matter if Arsenal manages to do the same.

It is not beyond the possibilities, especially given that Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie have been included in the Arsenal squad. This comes as a major surprise since they both had been all but ruled out of the match.

The return of these two powerhouses for Arsenal has put them in a strong position, while the return of Pep Guardiola to the Barcelona dugout is expected to boost them massively. Carles Puyol is doubtful to play, and Gerard Pique is out through suspension. 

Arsenal will be missing the defensive shield of Alex Song, however, which could come back to bite them.

Shakhtar vs Roma

Vincenzo Montella will be looking to achieve his first victory in the Champions League when Roma takes on Shakhtar Donetsk, looking to overturn a one-goal deficit.

Even though it is just a one-goal deficit in terms of the aggregate score, the situation looks bleak for the Italian side—especially after allowing Shakhtar to enjoy the advantage of three away goals at the Stadio Olimpico.

It's an advantage that they are unlikely to lose, as they have not lost at their home ground since August 2009.

It is a formidable record that Roma is trying to break, but they are coming into the match in the best possible way. They just won against Lecce in the last minute but displayed a lot of grit throughout the match.

It could just be the same character that Vincenzo Montella will be looking for from his men.

Roma will be missing Adriano for the match, while the biggest problem for the Italians is the loss of Jeremy Menez due to suspension. Marco Cassetti is also missing for Roma, but they will be looking to progress into the next round without his services.

Joe - livescoredaily.com - live scores