Lionel Messi insists their Champions
League tie with Arsenal is “not over” despite Barcelona’s 2-0 victory at
the Emirates on Tuesday night, AFP reports.
Messi scored both goals to give Barca a huge advantage going into the last-16 second leg at the Nou Camp.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes his team are “95 per cent” out, but Messi is not so sure.
“They covered each other’s backs well in
the first half and they’re very strong physically, but we knew they’d
drop off in the second half.
“Thanks to that there was more space and we were able to mount a few counter-attacks, which we also get joy out of.
“The tie isn’t over. We’ve played a few
against them, we know what they’re capable of, they’re a good team and
so it’s not done and dusted.”
Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets
believes it was Arsenal’s decision to go in search of a goal of their
own that ultimately allowed the visitors to assume control of the tie.
“We’re really happy with the result we
got,” he told the club’s website. “They were strong physically, but
little by little we gained control of the game – 2-0 sets us up nicely
for the second leg in Barcelona.
“When Arsenal created pressure, they
also left a lot of space at the back. They wanted to take risks, but we
did too and that’s how we opened the scoring.
“We have a lot of respect for Arsenal
because they’re a great team. They have some top class players that can
score at any moment.”
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