Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says his team has matured since their last meeting with FC Barcelona in 2011 and thinks they have a “good chance” against the Catalan football giants when they face-off in the Champions League pre-quarterfinals.
Arsenal beat then Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola’s star-studded team 2-1 in the home leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, but lost 3-1 in the return match and were knocked out.
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Coach Arsene Wenger says ‘mature’ Arsenal can halt Barcelona march |
Wenger believes Barcelona, currently coached by Luis Enrique, will pose a big threat, but says his side has grown.
“We are more mature. We played against Barcelona with top teams, but very inexperienced and very young. Barcelona were in full power but we still managed to beat them and it was always very tight,”
Wenger told arsenal.com. ”We have never been beaten (them comprehensively) and we were sometimes unlucky as well. That is in our minds. That is deep in my body as well. I do not forget that. We have a chance, an opportunity to put things right, and we’ll focus on that,” the veteran French tactician added. ”We are playing against a team that have the trophy and are the best team in Europe and I think we have a good chance to go through. It is a difficult challenge but an exciting one as well.”
“We are more mature. We played against Barcelona with top teams, but very inexperienced and very young. Barcelona were in full power but we still managed to beat them and it was always very tight,”
Wenger told arsenal.com. ”We have never been beaten (them comprehensively) and we were sometimes unlucky as well. That is in our minds. That is deep in my body as well. I do not forget that. We have a chance, an opportunity to put things right, and we’ll focus on that,” the veteran French tactician added. ”We are playing against a team that have the trophy and are the best team in Europe and I think we have a good chance to go through. It is a difficult challenge but an exciting one as well.”
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