“The only team I don’t want to face in Champions League is Arsenal and it’s all because of that guy, he performs magic against Real Madrid”: Barcelona coach Hansi Flick doesn’t want to face Arsenal in Champions League and it’s because of ONE particular player
The outcome of Arsenal’s quarter-final clash with Real Madrid was tough to predict, with the sides having not faced each other in over a decade.
Mikel Arteta would have had to rely on video analysis and scouting reports to prepare for the Champions League holders having not yet encountered them during his time at Arsenal. Despite Madrid going into the first-leg as favourites to progress, they came out of it having been comfortably beaten 3-0 at The Emirates.
All Arsenal had to do was finish the game off at the Bernabeu, which they did convincingly, and they now have themselves a semi-final spot. Arteta stepped into the unknown—and came out on top.
PSG now await them in the two-legged semi-finals, and the Gunners’ boss can go into the match even more confident than against Madrid – having played the French side before. PSG only managed a 15th-place finish in the league phase, but advanced to the round of 16 after a dominant and proving 10-0 aggregate win over fellow French side Brest.
Following stunning performances against Liverpool, and having survived a close comeback against Aston Villa, they have earned themselves the title of second favourites to win the competition. But Arsenal have already proven they can beat the French champions.
In the league phase, PSG travelled to the north London to face the Gunners and left defeated with Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka scoring the only two goals. The stats from that game reflect a familiar pattern in PSG’s recent performances.
Luis Enrique’s side had the majority of the possession (65%) and exactly double the passes of Arsenal. Paired alongside 10 shots compared to Arsenal’s six, the French club largely had control of the game.
But as Liverpool did in Paris, Arsenal did what matters most – they scored. As good as PSG have been this season, their play is largely predictable. Attack, attack, attack.
However, predictable does not mean easy as Les Rouge-et-Bleu have proven going unbeaten in Ligue 1 and being a dominant force in the Champions League. A team being predictable can allow their opponent to be prepared.
Arteta knows how PSG operate and will have already spent hours plotting how to neutralise their intensity. The Gunners boss has already done his homework – an advantage he didn’t have against Real Madrid.
