In last April's quarterfinals, the London side went to
Spain full of hope after a 2-2 draw at home. They even took the lead only to be
shredded by Lionel Messi who scored four times to earn his side a 6-3 aggregate
win.
This time, Arsene Wenger's team have gone one better
after a smash and grab raid in north London when Messi was strangely profligate
by his own stunningly high standards.
Quite what the Argentine magician has up his sleeve this
time only he knows, but Arsenal, like their north London rivals Tottenham
Hotspur and Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk will have genuine belief that they can
reach the quarter-finals.
Tottenham's first Champions League adventure continued
last month with a memorable 1-0 victory in the San Siro against seven-times
winners AC Milan and they will be favorites to finish off the Italians at White
Hart Lane on Wednesday.
Shakhtar also claimed an away victory in the first leg,
3-2 at Roma, when three goals by three different Brazilians put them firmly in
charge. The other tie to be decided this week is Schalke against Valencia after
the first leg ended 1-1.
Since those late goals by Robin van Persie and Andrei
Arshavin stunned Barcelona at the Emirates, the Gunners have suffered a
surprise League Cup final defeat by Birmingham City and on Saturday were
frustrated by Sunderland in a 0-0 draw.
What Wenger would give for a slice of the defensive
resolve that Sunderland displayed when they try to stop a Barcelona side who at
their best are the closest thing to an irresistible force in world football.
While backs-to-the-wall defending is not Arsenal's style
- they prefer the game's finer arts - Barcelona may find more obdurate
opponents this time round, especially as the emphasis is not on Arsenal to
chase a goal.
"The challenge will be to find the right balance
between having a team who can defend, as well as one that has a good
opportunity, every time it has the ball, to go forward," Wenger, who is
without van Persie and Theo Walcott, told the club's website (www.arsenal.com).
Barcelona, who rested some of their key players for
Saturday's 1-0 win against Real Zaragoza, are without injured captain and
central defender Carles Puyol.
Milan maintained their Serie A title charge with a 1-0
victory over Juventus on Saturday when Gennaro Gattuso scored his first goal
for three years.
The bearded midfielder will be missing, however, when
Milan try to turn around their tie at Tottenham, having been suspended for five
European matches after head-butting Tottenham assistant coach Joe Jordan in the
San Siro.
Milan also have key players such as Andrea Pirlo absent
through injury, although Tottenham will remain wary of a side featuring Zlatan
Ibrahimovic and Robinho and possibly Pato in a three-man attack should manager
Massimiliano Allegri decide to try and cash in on Tottenham's defensive
fragility.
Tottenham, playing in Europe's elite club competition for
the first time since 1963, have let in six goals in two games against clubs
battling relegation in the Premier League and are unlikely to sit back and
protect their narrow advantage.
Gareth Bale, who missed the first leg with a back injury,
is expected to return after managing 20 minutes in Tottenham's 3-3 draw at
Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.
With Roma and Inter Milan, who lost at home to Bayern
Munich, all needing away victories to stay alive in the competition, Serie A
could be without any representation in the quarterfinals.
History is not on their side either, as only once has a
team progressed in the knockout rounds after losing a home first leg. If Roma
are to turn around their tie they will have to become the first away team to
win in Donetsk since October 2008.
