Apr 05
Team Predictions: Barcelona v Arsenal + Shirt competition!
Arsenal arrived in Spain earlier this afternoon ahead of tomorrow’s crunch clash with Barcelona at the Nou Camp.
Defensive worries could hinder the Gunners’ potential progress into the semi-finals, as Alex Song has been ruled out with a knee injury and Sol Campbell is unsurprisingly fatigued after playing on Saturday against Wolves.
“It was a bad surprise this morning because he had a scan yesterday afternoon on his knee and he has an inflamed cartilage,” said Wenger before leaving for Spain. “We have to wait and see how bad it is but he is completely out for the squad for tomorrow’s game.”
Speaking on Campbell, boss Wenger admits that he will have to wait until matchday before making a final decision on the 35-year-old centre back.
“That is a decision I have to make after speaking to him tomorrow,” said the manager. “Today he was still not completely available although he managed to get a warm-up. To go into such a game you must be completely fit or not play at all.”
Gooner Talk’s Predicted XI
Almunia
Sagna – Campbell – Vermaelen – Clichy
Nasri – Denilson – Diaby
Walcott – Bendtner – Rosicky
Competition
Want to win a football shirt of your choice? Predict the Barca v Arsenal result by emailing me your score prediction before tomorrow’s game at 19:45 (BST).
We’ll post the confirmed starting line-up when we get it tomorrow evening.
Let us know your team predictions in the comments section!
i think eboue will start tomorrow just to be more defensive….dont think walcott or rosicky can start two games in a row…esp rosicky….but i know for sure eboue will start tomorrow…but fingers crossed…
Lineup:
Almunia
Sagna Vermaelen Campbell/Silvestre Clichy
Denilson Diaby
Walcott Nasri Rosicky
Bendtner
________Almunia_________
Sagna_Sol_TommyV_Clichy
_______ Denilson________
Eboue_Nasri_Diaby_Rosicky
_________NikkiB_________
No question abut it.
Pray for Sol.
I know I’m being pessimistic but that team looks weak. Why do we fall apart at the business end of each season? Has Gallas ever played past March for us?
Thats the exact starting lineup I am predicting, any idea of Barca line up?
Im guessing
Valdez
Alves Milto Abidal Maxwell
Xavi Busquets Keita
Messi Bojan Pedro
@terry: No way Rosicky will start mate. Almunia-Clichy-Campbell or Silvestre-Vermaelen-Sagna-Eboue-Diaby-Denilson-Nasri-Bendtner-Walcott
yaya toure should be fit and will play CB
Iniesta will come in for Keita
Big Sol would have Ibrahimovich in his pocket – but Bojan will run him ragged. It might be best to play Silvestre.
Walcott won’t start.
There’s an outside chance Eastmond will come in to sit in front of back four because Denilson is the slowest player in the club.
at least rosicky will track back unlike arshavin
Valdes
Alves Toure Abidal Maxwell
Xavi Busquets Iniesta
Messi Bojan Pedro
oh crap Rosicky is only 50:50 !!
omg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1now rosicky has been rated 50:50 for tomorrows game as well…….so definitely he wont start tomorrow then…eboue and walcott will surely start then….oh God why arsenal???? i think we have been cursed or something…this is getting too much now….the squad is down to bare bones…..but always keep the faith….up arsenal
We’ve beat Inter at the San Siro 5-1. We beat AC Milan at the San Siro, and we also beat Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
Keep the faith guys.
are we really after Neuer? Manu was great against Barca but he is just not consistent enough!!! And yes we will beat them at home even with our injuries. Denny will do it in midfield!!!!
Now I am praying they don’t thrash us 6-0 or something. Just too many injuries! Please, I hope I am really wrong.
I wouldn’t start Theo ahead of Eboue in this game. I’d rather bring him on as an impact player, for later in the game, depending on the score line. So long as Sagna and Denilson cover the right side CB, it doesn’t matter whether it is Silvestre or Sol who plays. This tie is far from over.
theo has to start, his pace is key, i didnt think there was much differance between our play compared to theirs other than the fact that they do everything we do three times as fast, every two passes are thought out before their created whereas we recieve the ball then realise the best pass (Diaby still couldnt do that the other night).
I personally think eboue could do a better job than rosicky in this game, we still need someone to defend from the midfield other than denilson!
no doubt abidal will be on walcott like a twat after Guardiola saying theo is our main threat, so expect a card or two there from a rash challenge…
milito and marquez are alright but bendtner WILL win those headers i think, if he could do it against Puyol he can do it against them. This time instead of having a 60% fit nervous Fabregas he wil have a 100% fit alert and battling Samir Nasri to give it to , as for winning headers at the back i think the fact that their entire attack up top is 5ft 7 speaks for itself…
that leaves Nasri the man of the game, if he and Denilson/Diaby play well i genuinly believe we can win it!
KEEP THE FAITH AND ANYONE WHO’S OUT THERE BE THAT 12TH MAN!
…as you can see im already fucking nervous!
@Gooner Chris:
Yeah but each one of those victories except the Real Madrid victory was with a near full strength squad. Even the Madrid victory we had a fully fit Henry who could turn on the magic at any given time….but your right its best to be an optimist than a pessimist…here’s hoping for the boys to play the game of there lives
Starting XI same as proposed, we hope one of the toughest games of our current squad, apart from late Wednesday game. Maybe 2-1 for us? or maybe the same score for them…
the easiest way of beating barca is through the air… if we can win some corners and free kicks, then with sol, vermi, nick and diaby good in the air we can get a goal or 2… at the emirates we didnt win a single corner during he 1st half.. dont knw abt the 2nd half though..
why cant Sol be fit for this match??? I watched him closely on saturday. he barely run the whole game, and i thought he was saving some energy for the barca match. Cant believe this.
———almunia———-
sagna—sol—tv5–clichy
——denilson————–
————-diaby——–
walcott—–nasri—-rosicky
———–bendtner———
sagna could play in the middle to keep up with the trickery of messi, bojan and xavi
either of walcott or eboue will start with the other one coming on in the 2nd half
no worries , whatever the team , we’ll nick this one..camp loo will be in tears
Bendtner is the key!!
alum
eboue—sagna—VT—-clinchy
denil—nas——diaby
walcolt/rosick—-bentner——vela/eduard
Why carlos vela not in the squad going to Nou Camp?
Almunia
eboue sagna tomy V clichy
walcot denilson diaby
nasri rocisky bendtner
arsenal will win