It`s been a rough season for Arsenal as injuries have once again affected their path to glory. The FA Cup was the most accessible trophy of 2016 but that went by the wayside on Sunday when the Gunners lost to Watford. The Premier League also seems like a lost cause as Wenger’s side is now 11 points behind Leicester who are close to writing one of the most unexpected pages in football history. The Champions League is the competition that could ease the pain of failing to take advantage of the many chances Arsenal had to move to 1st place in the domestic competition. If the Gunners manage a comeback against Barcelona, there’s no doubt they can go all the way. Could Wenger’s side get past the two goal advantage the Catalans gained at Emirates?
Knowing Arsenal, nothing is impossible. Just as they managed to find their way to the knockout stage, they could be able to turn things around even though it`s Barcelona we are talking about. During the first leg, with a bit of luck, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ramsey could have opened the score thus taking the game in a totally different direction. What`s to say that cannot happen on Spanish turf? Sure, Wenger is missing Cech, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey and Cazorla but that`s not something new. Ospina is an amazing keeper, Mertesacker will be back next to Koscielny and Elneny is great next to Coquelin.
The Gunners could take advantage of Pique’s suspension and force themselves to score early through Giroud who should dominate his direct adversaries. Other than their main defender, the Spaniards are in full effect. Regardless of that, Arsenal have their shot. If Mertesacker, Koscielny, Bellerin and Monreal do their job and block Messi, Suarez and Neymar, it`s anyone’s game. Let`s take a look at the predicted line-ups:
Arsenal Starting XI:
Barcelona Starting XI:
