Arsenal v Barca, Bayern v MU

[Lazie]

Lyon v Bor. and Inter v CSKA

[Gamma]

that should be a most attractive match. my 2 favourite teams! this will favour barca especially given messi's recent form.

barca's scoring actions are more and proven. gunners will have to play out of their skin to advance!

[Lazie]

that should be a most attractive match. my 2 favourite teams! this will favour barca especially given messi's recent form.

barca's scoring actions are more and proven. gunners will have to play out of their skin to advance!

Yeap, should be interesting. Arsenal always have more possession in most of their games, Barca have more possession in ALL their games.

Looking at the stats Barca's possession is 382 mins. Arsenal is second with 277 mins (via uefa.com). These are 2 teams who like to pass the air out of the ball, lets see how this one unfold.

[Dunny]

Champions League draw: Arsène Wenger downplays return of Thierry Henry to Arsenal

As Chelsea and Manchester United could testify, the script that accompanies the homecoming of an authentic club hero can follow one of two very different paths.



By Jeremy Wilson
Published: 11:00PM GMT 19 Mar 2010

Heroes return: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been keen to downplay the effect of Thierry Henry returning to Arsenal with Barcelona Photo: REUTERS


While the return of David Beckham to Old Trafford simply underlined the passing of time and the astute judgment of Sir Alex Ferguson, the presence this week of Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge suggested that Chelsea remain trapped beneath the shadow of the self-styled 'Special One'.
Thierry Henry is a figure of comparable importance in the history of Arsenal, yet anyone listening to Arsène Wenger's reaction to the Champions League draw would hardly have known it.

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Indeed, so forceful was Wenger in dismissing the overall relevance of Henry's return, it was difficult not to suspect a very genuine concern that his players could become distracted and even overawed by the inevitable hype.
The presence of Henry, after all, came to dominate the Arsenal dressing room until his move to Barcelona in 2007 and he is still widely regarded as the club's greatest-ever player.
"Why does it matter?" said Wenger. "What matters is that people who turn up and pay £50 see a good football game. It's not a personal game – it's a team game.
"Personality is part of it but it's not the main thing of it. What people sell now in the game is the artificial part. The main part is the quality of the game."
Wenger did go on to say that Arsenal would be "forever grateful" for Henry's contribution, but was happier focusing on the broader attractions of a showdown between arguably the two best footballing teams in Europe.
"It is the football that is important – it will be the top technical level against Barcelona," he said. "The other day with Chelsea and Inter; what was beautiful was the goal Inter scored. All the rest is rubbish. Let's see a football game. It bothers me because it is a dictatorship to tell people what is important – and what you tell them is important is not important.
"When Chelsea played against Man City, people were more focused on the Wayne Bridge/John Terry handshake. In my job, I have to make sure we focus on what matters."
Despite the lack of sentiment, Wenger still speaks regularly to Henry and probably knows him better than anyone in football. The ongoing depth of Henry's feeling towards Arsenal was also underlined in an interview two weeks ago when he consistently referred to his former club as "us" and "we".
"I'll be an Arsenal fan until I die," said Henry. "I dread the thought of having to oppose Arsenal. I would hate it. I pray for it not to happen."
The sub-plots will not end with Henry. For Wenger, winning the Champions League would surely ease the pain of the biggest disappointment in his career when Arsenal were beaten in the 2006 final by Barcelona. For Cesc Fabregas, there is also the opportunity to play in the Nou Camp for the first since he left Barcelona for Arsenal at the age of 16.
"The 2006 final was a 'no game' because of the referee; we went down to 10 men in a final that promised so much," said Wenger. "When a referee makes a decision like that he has to be absolutely sure. You do not kill a final that one billion people watch – 11 against 11 would have been a fantastic game.
"We have regrets, you never forget it, but you have to focus on what is in front of you. I did an interview recently about 10 years at Arsenal. I was surprised at how much I remembered from every single disappointment; every little detail came out in my head."
Of the clash between Fabregas and Lionel Messi, Wenger added: "I think they are completely different players but what is interesting is that they played together in the Barcelona youth team and, when I spoke with Fabregas's mother, she said they always won 6, 7, 8 or 9-0. There will certainly be some emotion but Fabregas is a winner, he wants to qualify."
With a presidential election at Barcelona this summer, the focus on the long-term future of the Arsenal captain will also now be thrust back into the spotlight.
While Fabregas has now recovered from his hamstring injury, William Gallas has flown to France to seek specialist treatment on his calf, meaning Sol Campbell, who scored Arsenal's goal in the 2006 final, is likely to face West Ham before also renewing his acquaintance with Barcelona.

[Dunny]

Sir Alex Ferguson is looking forward to locking horns with Bayern Munich again in continental competition.
Manchester United have been paired against the German giants in the quarter-finals of this season's UEFA Champions League.
The two old foes have not met in Europe's premier club competition since 2001, when Bayern sent United packing in the last eight.
However, the most memorable meeting between the pair came in the final of 1999, when the Red Devils secured a dramatic victory at Barcelona's Camp Nou with two late goals.
Their rivalry is now set to be rekindled, with Ferguson admitting that he expects a tough test against the Bundesliga leaders.
"The history of playing Bayern in past European ties tells you it's going to be a very difficult tie for us," Ferguson told the club's official website.
"It'll be a fantastic atmosphere in both games. They have a great stadium and a good pitch and we're up against a good, experienced team."
Confident

Ferguson is also hoping that he will have the chance to field a full-strength side against Louis van Gaal's men.
"Hopefully we'll have everyone we need for the game and, if we do, then we have got a good chance," he said.
Meanwhile, chief executive David Gill is optimistic regarding United's chances of landing the Champions League crown.
They have been handed a favourable draw, with Lyon or Bordeaux waiting in the semi-finals should Bayen be successfully dispatched.
"We're playing well and Sir Alex and the players know what to do in the latter stages of this competition," he said.
"We've got to be confident we can progress. The Bayern tie is very difficult but if we negotiate that successfully we've got a French team in the semis. So it's looking good.
"Without doubt [it looks like a good route to the final]. But this is the best competition in club football so there should be eight great teams in the quarter-finals.
"We can't get carried away. One of Sir Alex's strengths is not to do that. We've got to concentrate on that first game, get them back to Old Trafford with an away goal, and hopefully we'll progress."

[Karl]

that should be a most attractive match. my 2 favourite teams! this will favour barca especially given messi's recent form.

barca's scoring actions are more and proven. gunners will have to play out of their skin to advance!

Knock off Barca and it may be 1st Champions League winners medals & trophy for GUNNERS!
FORWARD!

[Rockman]

Arsenal on the bigger stage forces me to believe in luck.





Blessed.

[Gamma]

but yuh brite!!!!!

[Dunny]

Henry upset at CL draw;VIDEO http://msnsport.skysports.com/story/...046623,00.html

[Lazie]

Henry upset at CL draw;VIDEO http://msnsport.skysports.com/story/...046623,00.html

Him nuh affi worry, Pep nuh need fi play him.

[1of1]

sorry no champions league this season henry

[Muadib]

Ah Bwoy..

Barca Fahrevah... (dat is how long it seem dem have di ball)

Wuss Messi on annedda scoring level..

Bad luck for Arsenal.. better luck and dem could at least get to play in a Final this year..

Oh well..