The Lowdown
And so they meet again. After managing to avoid Barcelona in the Champions League in the last five years, Arsenal have been drawn against the holders in the first knockout round this season. While Barca are looking to become the first team to retain the trophy since AC Milan in 1990, Arsenal are simply aiming to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in six years.
How they got here
Arsenal scraped through to the round of 16, defeating Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos in their final two group matches after winning only one of their first four. A second-place finish meant Arsene Wenger’s men were always likely to be paired with one of Europe’s heavyweights, with their failure to top the group for a fourth successive year harming their chances of progression to the latter stages.
Barcelona qualified rather more comfortably, topping a group containing AS Roma, Bayer Leverkusen and BATE Borisov. They conceded only four goals in their six group encounters, which means their backline has been breached just 14 times in 19 European matches since the start of last term.
Key Players
Mesut Ozil, Arsenal – If the Premier League side are to upset the odds and advance to the last eight, they will need Ozil to be at his creative best. The German playmaker has been superb in the Premier League this year and now needs to produce the goods on the European stage too.
Lionel Messi, Barcelona – Hardly an original choice, but the world's best footballer is the man that Arsenal need to keep quiet most. As well as still being a fantastic dribbler and finisher, Messi regularly drops into midfield to build attacks these days, adding yet another dimension to his game.
Points to Prove
Arsenal – Can Wenger finally take Arsenal into the latter stages of the competition again? The 2006 runners-up have not reached the semi-finals since 2009, with three of their last five European campaigns ending with defeat against either Bayern Munich or Barcelona in the last 16. Wenger and his players need to show they can succeed against Europe’s best on the biggest stage of all.
Barcelona – Not much, frankly. Barcelona are on course to win another La Liga title this year and are also the favourites to triumph in the Champions League. Neymar, Messi and Luis Suarez are arguably the best front three in the history of the game, while Luis Enrique has silenced his critics in the last 12 months or so after a difficult start to his tenure in Catalonia.
The National’s Verdict
Barcelona to go through, with a first-leg draw followed by a second-leg victory at the Camp Nou.
Match time – 11.45pm UAE time, Tuesday
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