UEFA Champions League: 10 Ways Barcelona Can Beat Arsenal
Two of the most exciting teams in world football are set to clash in what promises to be the best 90 minutes (or more!) of football 2011 has seen. Arsenal pulled off an exhilarating 2-1 win over Barcelona in the first leg, and now take their one-goal lead into the Camp Nou, where vaunted FC Barcelona await.
Both sides are capable of winning this match, but if Barcelona is to advance, they’ll need to hold Arsenal scoreless (1-0 puts them through on away goals), or win by two. A tall order, to be sure, but here are 10 ways Barcelona can beat Arsenal and move on to the round of eight.
1. Camp Nou Swagger
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The Nou Camp seems to settle Barcelona and give them dominating possession in the opening minutes.
The fans really need to step it up and have an impact on the game like The Emirates did for Arsenal. The players need to respond with confidence and intimidation on the field.
The ball should swing around the pitch crisply and easily, the home side should elicit roars and applause with elegant movement. Barcelona needs to take firm control of the game right from the start, and the Nou Camp can help.
2. Early Goal
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This is the surest ticket to the round of eight for Barcelona. An early goal will send the crowd into a frenzy, calm the nerves of a makeshift defense and make things very, very hard for Arsenal.
1-0 may not be the final score, but it’s good enough for Barcelona to advance and puts all the pressure on the visitors. Granted the gunners have shown they can come back, but I don’t think they’ll find Barcelona letting down, even slightly as they did in the first leg.
3. Valdes Heroics
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Victor Valdes is having perhaps his best year, and tonight his team will need him more than ever. After missing most of last month’s matches, he returned against Zaragoza and looked very strong.
Arsenal will come flying at him on the counterattack, perhaps very early in the match. He will need to respond—perhaps charging off of his line to clear a dangerous through ball or, heaven forbid, to face Van Persie in space. Each save he makes denies Arsenal the all-important away goal, and gives his players a shot of inspiration.
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4. Monumental Busquets
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With Puyol injured, Pique suspended and Gabi Milito looking nothing like the quality defender of three years ago, Sergio Busquets may step in beside Eric Abidal at centerback. This is a position he’s not terribly familiar with, but one he can handle capably.
Busquets will need to play smart, listen carefully to Abidal and Valdes, and always take the safe pass.
He’ll also need to use every inch of his scrawny frame to clear corner kicks—Barcelona will be sorely lacking in height.
5. Building from the Back
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Great Barcelona goals start with Victor Valdes, and 30 touches later, finish with Messi, Villa or Pedro. In London, Barcelona struggled to break Arsenal’s high line of pressure, and were forced to dump long balls forward. David Villa has a huge heart but a very small body—Barcelona is practically incapable of turning wishful outlet passes into meaningful chances.
With the home crowd roaring and Arsenal defending their advantage, Barca will hopefully be able to build from the back and methodically break down the defense.
6. Messi Magic
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Amongst all the great players in this game, only one has the ability to single-handedly decide this elimination: Lionel Messi.
Who can forget his performance against Arsenal last season, when he netted four spectacular goals? The first of these came from outside the area, with no space whatsoever, on a ridiculous strike into the upper net.
Messi is entirely capable of doing this again, and every Cule in the world hopes that he’ll just step up and put this tie to bed with a jaw-dropping goal.
7. the Return of Don Andres
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Another Barcelona player who can be scary good is Andres Iniesta. He’s been healthy this year, played well, but has yet come through with a decisive goal.
Barcelona needs Iniesta to make some noise tonight, perhaps with a deceptive little run up the left, some dagger passes into the box, or a clean strike into the corner of the net.
Take Andres’ uncanny ability to hang onto the ball, his diminutive physique, and the inexperience of the Arsenal defense, and you’ve got a recipe for a penalty kick, or at least some dangerous set pieces for Xavi and Messi. At this point, Barcelona will take a goal any way they can get it.
8. Making Their Experience Count
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If there’s one clear advantage Barcelona has over the talented Gunners, it’s experience. Most of these players has won it all together, and have overturned unfavorable starts with clutch performances time and time again.
Arsenal, by contrast, fields a squad full of youngsters. For some, like (go slowly now) keeper Wojciech Szczesny, and defender Laurent Koscielny, this is the biggest match of their lives, and the first time they’ve faced the likes of Barcelona at home.
These are gifted young players, but there’s a chance the pressure will produce some mistakes, and Barca had better capitalize.
9. Finishing Well
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"Tiki-taka" football can create all the chances in the world, but without the right finishing touch, Barcelona will be knocked out. Messi already blew a sure goal against Arsenal in the first leg, and fans are all-too familiar with seeing 70 percent ball possession yield zero goals. Barcelona will need to bury any chances they’re given.
The match itself needs to be finished well, too—Arsenal has already proven they’re not the sort to give up. If Barcelona does manage to secure a lead, they’ll be facing a fearsome combination of youth, speed, and never-say-die attitude. This game will go down to the wire.
10. Belief
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Pep Guardiola’s return from a back injury allowed him to attend the pre-match press conference yesterday, and his words were music to my Barca-loving ears: “Nobody should have any doubt that we will come out tomorrow to attack, to score goals, to go after them, to go after the game” (it sounds better in Spanish). This is the attitude he will need to instill in his players.
This team is better than they were a year ago, and should have nothing but confidence in their ability to score goals and pass the elimination. If the starting eleven and the 90,000 in attendance believe in victory, it will surely come.
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