You have to go all the way back to 1999 for the last time Barcelona left London with a win against Arsenal in the Champions League but nobody can doubt the Catalans being chalked up as odds-on favourites for Tuesday night’s mouthwatering first leg showdown.
Luis Enrique’s visitors arrive on the back of a club record 32-game unbeaten streak (W26-D6-L0) that dates back to early October, including 13 victories from their most recent 14 outings.
The travellers have reached the semi-finals of this competition in seven of the last eight campaigns, have taken the title in four of the last 10 seasons and bagged 15 wins from their 19 Champions League fixtures (W15-D2-L2) since the start of last season – never failing to net in those 19 games.
So how about Arsenal? The Gunners were fairly fortunate to keep their record of reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League in every season since 2003/04 having been beaten in three of their first four matches in the group stage.
The best, in my opinion, Arsenal can hope for here is to grab a first leg goal. The Gunners are more than capable of scoring and I expect them to notch at the Emirates considering they’ve struck in each of their previous 13 Champions League games, in 14 of their previous 15 Emirates outings in this competition as well as 10 of their last 11 knockout ties.
The two teams have locked horns seven times in recent seasons and Both Teams To Score backers have collected on each occasion. Those seven meetings have produced 27 goals – 3.86 goals-per-game – with Barcelona holding a superior W4-D2-L1 record. Six of those seven encounters featured at least three goals.
With my heavy Barca bias, I’m going to take the Catalans to win with Both Teams To Score at 3.20. It’s proven a successful formula in seven of Luis Enrique’s side’s last 10 fixtures and with the guests shipping goals in nine of their previous 10 away knockout games, as well as in 12 of their 17 Champions League road trips since 2013, it should have a strong chance of landing.
Barcelona only kept their sheets clean against BATE Borisov in the group stage but have managed to strike at least twice in 26 of their unbeaten 32-match spree. They’ve also taken won 12 of their 16 legs at this stage of the competition since 2007/08 and are understandable outright favourites to successfully defend their Champions League crown.