“If you play against one of the favourites to win the competition and you create chances, you have to convert at least one”, said Cech.
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Wenger’s side played well in midweek against Barcelona in the Champions League but were still well-beaten and mentally, they need to shake off the disappointment of a 2-0 defeat in the round of 16 first leg.
Wenger felt his team – also still in the FA Cup – had squandered a good chance of victory. “Technically we were very average”. We were naive and that’s what was frustrating.
Mathieu Flamini fouled the Argentina superstar seven minutes from time and he duly doubled his tally from the penalty spot, leaving Wenger to compare elements of a largely creditable display to last season’s humiliating home defeat against Monaco at the same stage. I think we had to score first. “The way we finished our chances is a problem because I felt that we missed something in the final third”.
If Arsenal are to have any chance of overturning a 2-0 deficit against Barcelona in the Champions League next month they must be sharper in front of goal, says manager Arsene Wenger.
JUVENTUS 2, BAYERN 2 (at Turin, Italy) – Juventus came back from two goals down to draw against Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 match.
“We had plenty of possession, we defended very well and we managed Arsenal’s transitions (counter-attacks) very well”. That’s exactly what we did.
“If they had scored the first goal, things could have been different, but I wouldn’t be too critical of them”. That’s down to their quality as well.
“My players individually performed perfectly and I think we are deserved winners of this game”.
After being dazzled by Messi’s magic wand, it will take an act of astonishing escapology for Arsenal to go through in the return leg at the Camp Nou on March 16. “But we go step by step”.
“Realistically it is very, very hard, if not impossible (to make the quarter-finals)”.
He added: “We were disciplined defensively but we knew that if we had to keep a 0-0 we keep a 0-0”.
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‘We work the whole season for this period.
