Champions League: Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona

It was an evenly matched affair between two squads that hold firm to the ideal that football should be played with the ball at the feet, with joy in the heart, and not just with fire in the gut. It was an uncharacteristically gutsy performance by Arsenal, who usually fall short in big matches, but they were up against Pep Guardiola's blaugrana, so it looked to be an open, end-to-end match with little for Sports Betting between them. It was.

The Gunners came out pressuring, playing a high-line, and it worked for a time, but you sensed that Barcelona were taking control of the match and measuring the linesmen for those elusive calls as Arsenal were playing a dangerous game with the offside trap. David Villa squirmed through after Lionel Messi drove two Arsenal defenders away from the attack, found el guaje and the Asturian efficiently found the net between the Arsenal keeper's legs. It could have 0-2, should have been actually, considering Djourou handled the ball, Villa shot and the ball was headed in by a diving Lionel Messi. Inexplicably, the linesman's flag was up and Arsenal escaped with the scoreline manageable. 

You can then talk about Arsenal beating Barcelona at their own game in the second half. Not true. They played pure, Arsenal football and they beat Barcelona with their main strength and one of Barcelona's few weaknesses: they attacked with pace in numbers. Both the Robin Van Persie goal and the Arshavin goal were started by Barcelona gaffes in their own area. The blaugrana looked slow and very ordinary on the ball. Could it have been, as reported, that Barcelona did not train in London the day before the game and might have been less than sharp. Looked it to me. Messi while instrumental to the Barcelona attack as a provider, looked rather human in front of goal missing two obvious chances.

Still, all it means is that Barcelona still have the edge coming home to the Camp Nou. The important away goal is key. If they get a 1-0 edge at home. They go through.

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