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Champions League: Arsenal 2 Barcelona 1

SoccerNews in General Soccer News 17 Feb 2011

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Andrey Arshavin emerged from the bench to hand Arsenal a priceless 2-1 advantage in their Champions League last-16 clash with Barcelona.

David Villa had opened the scoring for the visitors in the first-leg of the tie at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium after 26 minutes with a neat finish following a sublime Lionel Messi through-ball.

Time looked to be running out for Arsenal until Robin van Persie slammed the hosts level with a fierce finish 12 minutes from time.

And the turnaround was complete in the 83rd minute when substitute Arshavin steered a neat strike past Victor Valdes after Samir Nasri’s cut-back.

The Gunners must defend their advantage in the Nou Camp in the return leg on March 8, but can now dare to dream of a quarter-final spot.

They dominated much of the first half and could have gone ahead through van Persie, but Valdes palmed away the Dutchman’s angled effort.

Barca replied with a chance of their own, but Messi inexplicably fluffed his lines when one-on-one with Gunners shot-stopper Wojciech Szczesny.

But Villa made no mistake with a similar chance after 26 minutes, sliding a cool finish under the advancing goalkeeper to open the scoring.

Messi did have the ball in the net in the closing moments of the half but the linesman’s flag ruled out his close-range header.

Pep Guardiola’s side started to flex their muscles after the break but Messi was once again guilty of missing a clear-cut chance.

This time, the Argentine superstar slid his effort against the side netting when clean through after 67 minutes.

And Barca were made to pay for their profligacy just 11 minutes later when Van Persie restored parity.

The striker caught Valdes out with a rasping drive from an acute angle which somehow beat the goalkeeper at his near post.

The Emirates had barely finished celebrating the equaliser when Arshavin edged Arsene Wenger’s side ahead with seven minutes left on the clock, provoking delirious scenes among the home support.

The Russia star had crept up unnoticed at the back post and made no mistake from 15 yards after Nasri’s low cross.

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  • rewz

    0 0

    barcelona will surely progess through as they r very strong at home and i hope arsenal get more gaols in the return leg than last year.

  • Salum Jumanne ( Zumula )

    0 0

    Barcelona will beat Arsenal as much as they can because firstly, they will b at home and secondly, they will play attacking football so as to get more goals so as to qualifying next step. Barcelona is big better than Arsenal and they will qualify in next leg!!

  • f.psycho

    0 0

    if i tell people that the game is still as planned for barcelona it will seem foolish to some people who aren’t deep analyst of the game, but take close look you will remember vividly that similar thing happen last season perhabs the difference this season was just arsenal won (this is what made seem like they were better)… The bigger picture is that barca actual wanted to defend their only away goal by reducing the intensity and speed of their passes, this can be proven seeing arsenal struggling to get the ball on first-half which indirectly led to the first goal, so arsenal took advantage of the slowly and predictable moving passes which gave arsenal more ball possesion and eventually chances on goals unlike the first half of the match. Secondly barca’s aim as they have being doing most times was to get at list either, a winner or at worst a draw away and go to finish it off at home with all full 90 minutes of intensive attack, fast and unpredictable passing work, but this plan does not totaly mean that barcelona can’t accomodate slim defeat such as the present case against arsenal… In essence the aim of the tactics is to see them qualify to respective next stage of the competition, and this they have always done, finaly BARCELONA WILL QUALIFY AT THE LONG RUN… As they will bounce back playin’ every minutes of the game just like they did in the first-half of the first-leg scoring as many goals as possible in the CAMP NOU… For me arsenals victory only came as a result of temporal and slight failure of the plan. Take it or leave it Barca are always better than Arsenal

  • f.psycho

    0 0

    if i tell people that the game is still as planned for barcelona it will seem foolish to some people who aren’t deep analyst of the game, but take close look you will remember vividly that similar thing happen last season perhabs the difference this season was just arsenal won (this is what made seem like they were better)… The bigger picture is that barca actual wanted to defend their only away goal by reducing the intensity and speed of their passes, this can be proven seeing arsenal struggling to get the ball on first-half which indirectly led to the first goal, so arsenal took advantage of the slowly and predictable moving passes which gave arsenal more ball possesion and eventually chances on goals unlike the first half of the match. Secondly barca’s aim as they have being doing most times was to get at list either, a winner or at worst a draw away and go to finish it off at home with all full 90 minutes of intensive attack, fast and unpredictable passing work, but this plan does not totaly mean that barcelona can’t accomodate slim defeat such as the present case against arsenal… In essence the aim of the tactics is to see them qualify to respective next stage of the competition, and this they have always done, finaly BARCELONA WILL QUALIFY AT THE LONG RUN… As they will bounce back playin’ every minutes of the game just like they did in the first-half of the first-leg scoring as many goals as possible in the CAMP NOU… For me arsenals victory only came as a result of temporal and slight failure of the plan. Take it or leave it Barca are always better than Arsenal

  • Salum Jumanne ( Zumula )

    0 0

    Barcelona will beat Arsenal as much as they can because firstly, they will b at home and secondly, they will play attacking football so as to get more goals so as to qualifying next step. Barcelona is big better than Arsenal and they will qualify in next leg!!

  • rewz

    0 0

    barcelona will surely progess through as they r very strong at home and i hope arsenal get more gaols in the return leg than last year.

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