Champions League - Arsenal v Barcelona preview

Champions League - Arsenal v Barcelona preview: Wenger highlights Messi curse against Cech

Arsene Wenger hopes Petr Cech can extend his record of never losing a goal to Lionel Messi when Arsenal host European champions Barcelona in the Champions League last 16 first leg.

By Desmond Kane 4 hours ago Eurosport

 

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Arsenal's Petr Cech celebrates at the end of the match

The London team aim to make it third time lucky against Barca over two legs having lost to them in 2010 and 2011, their only victory against Barcelona coming with goals from Robin van Persie and Andrei Arshavin in a 2-1 win in the first leg of their last-16 tie in the latter year.

That victory ultimately proved futile as Lionel Messi, who had scored four times to knock out Arsenal in the 2010 quarter-finals, struck twice in the second leg to secure a 4-3 aggregate win.

But he has yet to find a way past for Chelsea goalkeeper Cech in eight meetings, including a famous win over Barca in the last four on their way to winning the Champions League trophy four years ago.

“I hope that will give Cech a lot of confidence and will keep him quiet," said Wenger in a media conference. "I hope that Messi will have a little complex and the history will play for us and against Messi."

Arsenal also lost to 2-1 Barca in the Champions League final a decade ago when goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off in the opening moments.
“Barcelona are super favourites, we need to raise the urgency level," said Wenger.
“Tomorrow everybody is convince we need to absolutely be totally focused to have a chance. Belief, confidence and let’s go for it.

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Last year we were favourites against Monaco, it’s the biggest upset we have known in recent years.

“We didn’t start the game well and we paid for it.

“So tomorrow we need a good mixture between commitment and keep our nerves. No stupid fouls or red card like happened before.”

Wenger failed to bring Luis Suarez to the Emirates from Liverpool in 2013, and has admired the Uruguay’s contribution to Barca since his move to the Camp Nou after the 2014 World Cup.

Suarez is leading goalscorer in La Liga with 25 goals and has scored five times in the Champions League as part of MSN - Messi and Neymar being the other parts of the attacking trio.

"They are the most efficient (forward line) in the world," said Wenger.

“Messi scored 300 goals in 340 games, I’ve seen many strikers in my life but I’ve never seen a record like that