” We also depend on the pressure they put on up front to get the ball off the opposition”, he said.
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“It’s more hard to prepare against Hull City because, against Barcelona, everyone is naturally more focused”, he explained, with Arsenal having been held at home in the FA Cup on Saturday. Against Hull, it’s more to raise the urgency level.
“Tomorrow everybody is convinced we need to absolutely be totally focused to have a chance”. They maybe have a little less possession than when we had the first game. “Individually they have exceptional talent”.
Barcelona cruised past Real Betis winning 4-0 today in their Spanish league match.
The Chilean spent four seasons at Juventus before joining Bayern past year.
They are all the chosen ones because they are fantastic.
The Gunners will be hoping for a repeat of their 2010/11 first leg performance against Barcelona, when they recorded a historic 2-1 win.
Messi, Neymar and Suarez have proved impossible to stop and Ivan Rakitic, the Barca midfielder tasked with getting the ball to his team’s deadly front three, admits he is in awe of their ability.
“They have a great solidarity”, he said.
“Lionel Messi, when he goes back to the midfield he is the best midfielder; when he is a striker he scores lots of goals. That means there is something special there”.
Arsenal once had a transfer offer for Luis Suarez rejected by Liverpool.
Arsenal have suffered from poor results in the opening leg of knockout Champions League ties in recent years, last season losing 3-1 at home to Monaco before being eliminated on away goals following a 2-0 victory in the principality.
Arsenal may well regret, yet again, the club’s failed bid for him in 2013. None of those meetings included Alexis Sanchez, who will start for Arsenal against his former team.
“He is physically strong and very capable”, Iniesta said.
But neither pundit expect Arsenal to beat Barcelona. “He’ll be tuned in. But Barca are not far from it, I must say”.
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Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin could also face his former club on Tuesday, with former Gunner Thomas Vermaelen included in Luis Enrique’s squad.
