FC Barcelona Vs. Arsenal FC, 2011: Match Underway At The Nou Camp

Weeks of buildup come down to this. We've kicked off at the Nou Camp, with Swiss referee Massimo Busacca blowing the whistle and allowing David Villa and Lionel Messi to get the game underway. Barcelona are wearing their iconic red and blue stripes, leaving Arsenal in their away yellows. The visitors know that a draw will see them through to the Champions League quarter finals, while the home side need to win 1-0 or by two goals to advance.

In keeping with the character of each side, we're anticipating a fast-paced goal-filled game with the home side keeping the ball with long stretches. Arsenal will have to close down their opponents whenever possible, but that means conceding fouls - Xavi's already been knocked over by Gael Clichy and things could get rather tetchy if allowed to continue. What Arsenal absolutely cannot do is give the ball away without being forced to, but that's exactly what they've done in their first two spells of possession, with Bacargy Sagna misplacing a pass and then Samir Nasri fouling Dani Alves as he chased into the left channel.