**Champions League quarter & Semi finals Draw**

drunkenmaster said:
Oh well, if ever we wanted a chance to prove to Fabregas exactly how far away from a team like Barca we are and that he really should leave, this is it.


I'm actually not as pessimistic as some. Barca are great at home, but not always and have been far less good away. They got completely outplayed by Stuttgart away from home and they had Hleb on the pitch(he still looked utterly useless in a great team though :p ), Stuttgart bar a crap ref should have put the tie out of reach in the first leg. We've got a very good team, as long as we don't decide to play Denilson and Diaby at the same time, with Theo on the wing we have a decent chance of scoring.

Unfortunately Barca's weakness is closing down the less good players hard and forcing them to make mistakes, Alves, Toure, Keita, and defensively they really aren't that good. Puyol makes a lot of mistakes, Alves is pretty useless defensively.

Problem is Wenger will probably play too many of our worse players and we won't have a chance to out play them. Barca didn't look wholy impressive in the group stages, losing goals and points to the smallest minnows in the competition.

ANyone know when their game is against Real compared to the 1st/2nd leg? They are under pressure in the league now and if Real win at home it could knock their confidence and turn a seemingly easy season into a high pressured season as theres huge expectation after last season. A big loss before either game could really help us.
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DM do you really think that Arsenal can out play Barca?

Home or away Arsenal have to turn out an amazing performance. If Arsenal try and play the normal, open flowing game they try and play elsewhere they'll get destroyed.

Manchester United and Chelsea have turned over Arsenal recently, and were both out played easily by Barca.
 
I think it's equally as mental to write Arsenal off completely as it is to say they'll outplay Barca. We haven't seen the two teams against each other (the ONLY real indication of how the game will go) for years. Going to be very interesting and 2 games of the absolute highest technical standard which for me will be perfect.

Either team could win, I expect Barca to have a little extra with Messi and Iniesta/Xavi, but Fabregas and Arshavin aren't that bad either. Don't forget Eboue too.

Barcelona get caught on the counter often enough too :)
 
It will be an interesting game :)

I think it will be a **** fest for people who enjoy the beautiful game, no long ball 9 men defending. *take note Chelsea*

I'm not writting Arsenal off 100% but I'd say their chances are pretty slim to be honest, Arsenal play in the same style to Barca but Barca have better players and just are better at it tbh.
 
I'd be inclined to agree, absolutely no shame in losing to Barca, it might be closer than most think though (I hope).

Although if Arsenal have to take a raping, I'd rather it be from Barca
 
To be fair there's only CSKA who are worse that were left in the draw. I'd be delighted with Bayern, definitely think Utd will cruise it.
 
Tummy said:
LOL

How do you intend to keep him quiet?
How are you going to keep the other 9 outfield players quiet? :p
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Stop Messi getting the ball for a start...:p

Its going to be a very tough match for the Arsenal, but I think we got it in us to beat them.

Also looking foward to seeing Henry at the Emirates.:D
 
I think barca will go through. They are just better than the gunners in every postion on the field. I also don't think the arsenal defence has anything to stop the barca attack.
 
There is a pretty good chance Guardiola will have had a nervous breakdown by the time the quarter final arrives. He looks a bag of nerves every time I see him this season and is constantly restless.
 
[ASSE]Hinchy;16189017 said:
There is a pretty good chance Guardiola will have had a nervous breakdown by the time the quarter final arrives. He looks a bag of nerves every time I see him this season and is constantly restless.
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Yet for some odd reason he seems to get the results thats needed...id love to see him manage Arsenal if Wenger should ever go...but thats not going to happen.
 
Tummy said:
DM do you really think that Arsenal can out play Barca?

Home or away Arsenal have to turn out an amazing performance. If Arsenal try and play the normal, open flowing game they try and play elsewhere they'll get destroyed.

Manchester United and Chelsea have turned over Arsenal recently, and were both out played easily by Barca.
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Yes, because any team can have an off day.

Barca and Inter both only scored 7 goals in the group stages, and Barca conceded 3, drew 2 and lost 1, they aren't in any way unbeatable. LIkewise Messi can have a bad game and we have some great players. Barca aren't fantastic away from home, they've been outplayed by teams worse than Arsenal away from home. Stuttgart aren't close to as good as Barca across two legs, but they might have gone through with a fair ref, you don't have to win both games, if we can get decent performance at home you never really know.

Barca are very vunerable defensively, as said Stuttgart pushed their midfields hard, won the ball and caught them quite easily on the break, they should have had penalties because their defence does some, well, questionable things.

Barca aren't a patch frankly, on the team that was around last year. The game against Stuttgart at home was a bit, dodgey, Alves threw himself to the ground constantly as did a couple of others, without Eto'o who they were used to for 5-6 years, they aren't quite as fluid together. If we man mark Messi with someone with pace and strength you're halfway there. The interplay and movement isn't as good as last year. As said they weren't really under pressure last year, this year everyone expects a treble and their form has been declining as the pressure is increasing, a Real win at the right time could put a insane amount of pressure on them and prevent them playing their best.

I don't think Arsenal are in any way the favourites, just not a complete write off.

THough the biggest problem is Wenger's stupid idea's for these games. I can see him deciding Denilson will be a better defensive option than other options, and deciding to start with Theo thinking if we play ultra defensive his pace might help us nick a goal.

The teams that have beaten Barca had one thing in common, no fear of at least trying to win. Teams that sit back and hope Barca don't score have been obliterated, Stuttgart, Rubin Kazan, Inter and several others who just took the game too them really all outplayed Barca in general. You do not want the ball in your half of the pitch, and if you only put 1 player in their half, it WILL be in your half the whole time. If you put 4 players in their half and support, you push them back.

Half the reason Messi is so good is theres ALWAYS 3-4 other players making runs into the box, yes he often beats 2-3 players, but without support running and other players, he'd have to beat 6-7players. Peg them back, deny them support and most importantly, they aren't used to playing against teams who go all out at them. They aren't used to playing crowded together in their own half.

They also push their fullbacks WAY up the pitch while the CB's cover the entire back line, smart running and balls beyond the midfield can leave 1 on 1's constantly. They are very beatable, teams that don't try, don't get close though.

DAng, Barca vs Real is 11th April, its their game the weekend after the 2nd leg, however it will be a big pressure match, even more so if they drop some more points before then. Its a crunch game for them with Real most likely not playing midweek and with nothing else to play for this year. First game at home which we definately have a shot at winning, and the 2nd leg will be hard for them as the weekend game is most likely bigger for them, not winning the CL means less to the players, fans, club than losing the league to Real.

They are away to Mallorca the weekend before the 1st game and home to Bilboa inbetween the two games. Its a tough run of games against top 8 teams that are capable of taking points off Barca.

No one wants to play Barca, but if you have to play them to win the CL, the toughtest couple weeks of the year for them leading up to their biggest game of the year is the best time to play them in the competition that means the least to them to be honest. Better now than in the final.
 
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This was always UTD's or Barca's trophy from the eight teams left and they're not destined to meet until the final. :p Oh well. Would have been nicer to have been on the side that avoided both Inter and Barca but I suppose it can't be helped. We did after all have a very easy group stage it'd have been nice if that continued into the business end of the season.

In the past when we've been underdogs we've done very well, e.g. AC, Real, Juve. I don't think this time it'll happen though, Barca are just that little bit too good. Not as good as last year but still too strong.
 
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