FC Barcelona advances to the next round in the UEFA Champions League on aggregate winning 4-3 against Arsenal. Here’s some key point’s to last night’s match including:
1. GK Wojciech Szczesny (ARS) left do to injury in the first 20 minutes of the game.
2. Barcelona had 68% of possession. Arsenal? 32%.
3. Van Persie’s unnecessary foul (face mush is what the kids would say) against Dani Alves (FCB). The controversial card after Van Persie’s offside kick would have still kept the Arsenal player in the game. No first half foul, no sendoff – even if the booking was premature. As a result the English squad was left to fend off Barca with 10 men. It’s already tough to play them with a full squad and Barca’s Xavi scored in the 69th minute soon after Van Persie was sent off.
4. Arsenal: Attempts off target – 0. Attempts on target – 0. I’ll defer my comments to Herm Edwards.
5. When you see Arsenal manager Arsene Wegner screaming to his players to move forward and go for goal, you know the match is done. The team was defeated long before the final whistle.
6. Arsenal did not take advantage of one of Barca’s few hiccups: The second half own goal by FCB’s Sergio Busquets had the Gunners leading on aggregate at this point 3-2. Instead of focusing on the defensive and maintaining possession their lack of focus led to their demise. See #2.
7. Cesc Fabregas botched heel pass intercepted by Andres Iniesta to set up Messi’s first half goal. Hey Fabregas – I know your playing in Camp Nou but this isn’t a Spain International match. Iniesta’s not on your team…for now at least.
At the end of the day, Barca’s win will be overshadowed by the Van Persie sendoff but that does not take away from Iniesta’s brilliant aversion of three Gunner defenders and then to pass to Lionel Messi’s masterful chip over the goal keeper and eventual strike into the back of the net (on the video go to 11:30).
