Are Arsenal scared to see PSG and Barcelona?

Arsenal face tough test at Bernabeu.

PSG, despite being highly rated, almost lost to Aston Villa in a dramatic second leg. Leading 3-1 after the first leg, and at one point leading 5-1 on aggregate away from home, PSG still experienced heart-stopping moments. Meanwhile, Barcelona also experienced anxious moments in Dortmund.

Warning from Aston Villa and Dortmund

At Villa Park, coach Unai Emery and his students almost made history. In just over 30 minutes, Aston Villa reduced the gap from 1-5 to 4-5, with three consecutive goals from Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Ezri Konsa.

Only a brilliant performance from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and a bit of luck at the end of the match kept PSG in the running. As Villa pressed the reigning French champions late on, many PSG fans were reminded of their 2017 defeat to Barcelona after they let a 4-0 first-leg lead slip.

Barcelona, ​​meanwhile, despite winning the match, had a tough game at Dortmund. Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy scored three goals, leaving Barcelona struggling to maintain their advantage. "I know the power of this stadium," Flick admitted after the match, referring to the pressure from the German crowd and the desire of his opponents to come back.

The match showed that even top teams like Barcelona can be in trouble if they do not maintain their concentration. Hansi Flick's team were even rated higher than Dortmund before the second leg, holding a 4-goal advantage.

Having to play away from home, against a home team full of spirit to create miracles, made both PSG and Barca go through trembling moments.

Aston Villa almost made a miracle.

For Arsenal, the lessons from PSG and Barca are certainly evident. They are even rated lower than Real Madrid when they visit the Bernabeu, and the 3-0 advantage after the first leg can be completely erased.

Arsenal need to be alert

Under the bright lights of the Bernabéu, Arsenal prepare to face their biggest test yet in this season's Champions League, with manager Mikel Arteta admitting it's hard to ignore the history surrounding the Spanish giants' comeback.

“It’s part of their history and I understand that,” Arteta admitted of Real Madrid’s instinct to come back ahead of the quarter-final second leg. But he also stressed that Arsenal needed to maintain a different mindset, focusing on dominating their opponents rather than getting caught up in the story of the comeback.

"We have to go through it, feel it and face it," Arteta said. "I want the players to enjoy this game, not worry." Arsenal have the opportunity to write their own history. However, to do that, they need to learn from the mistakes of PSG and Barcelona recently.

The Gunners must stay focused, take advantage and not get caught up in Real Madrid's "remontada dream". In addition, this season's Arsenal is a completely different version of the past. They are the team with the best defense in both the Premier League and the Champions League.

For 78 consecutive matches, Arsenal have not lost by more than two goals. The match at the Bernabéu is not only a battle of tactics, but also a test of mentality. Will Arsenal have the courage to overcome it?

Source: https://znews.vn/arsenal-co-lo-so-khi-thay-psg-va-barcelona-post1546142.html