Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny retains Champions League belief

Arsenal Laurent Koscielny

Share this story






Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny believes his side can overturn the 2-0 deficit they face heading into the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Barcelona on Wednesday.

A second-half brace from Lionel Messi at the Emirates Stadium three weeks ago helped Barca move into a commanding position in the tie.

Since that loss Arsenal have only won once in five matches, a run of form that has seen them slip 11 points behind Leicester at the top of the Premier League standings and exit the FA Cup.

The Gunners now face an uphill task if they are to keep their faint hopes of European glory alive, as they come up against a Barcelona side that have not tasted defeat in any of their last 37 matches in all competitions.

France international Koscielny knows his side face a tough test against the defending European champions, but he insists his team can still progress, and a positive result in Catalonia could give them a boost ahead of the rest of the campaign.

He said: “You know when you play against the best players in the world, the best team with a good collective side, it’s very important for us. It can be very important if we can have a [good] result.”

The 30-year-old is hopeful the Gunners can benefit from having no expectation on their shoulders ahead of the match at the Camp Nou, and he believes a relaxed approach could inspire them to victory.

He added: “Now we need to play the second leg away at Barca and we have nothing to lose. People always talk about the statistics and I think we have maybe a five per cent chance to qualify.”

Arsenal are available at 12.00 to secure a victory in Catalonia, whilst the Blaugrana are on offer at 1.22 and the draw is priced at 6.50.

Leave a comment