Mesut Ozil says Arsenal’s attackers must be ‘ice cold’ against Barcelona, knowing all too well from his Real Madrid days that the Gunners face a daunting atmosphere at the Camp Nou.
Needing to win by three clear goals to progress to the knockout stages, or a 2-0 win followed by penalty shootout success scoring some ACTUAL goals, the German stressed that Arsenal must have the confidence to play their own game.
Obviously that’s easier said than done, but you can’t help but admire his optimism.
“We have to go there and believe in ourselves,” Ozil told Arsenal Player. “We saw against Barcelona, if we play our game, as we did in the first 20 minutes where we had a lot of chances against them, and score in the first half, we can do it.
“I’ve played there before. It will be very loud, the fans will support the team. Our goal has to be to make our game. The most important thing for us is to believe in ourselves.
“If we believe in ourselves and take our chances – last time we had chances but didn’t score – [we can do it]. We have to be ice cold in front of goal. If we have a chance, we have to score against such a big team.
“Every player knows that against the biggest clubs, we have to show our quality. Every player wants to play against the best team, so we have to have the opportunity to come to the next round.
“In football, anything can happen. Our goal has to be to win the game.”
David Ospina, who’ll continue between the sticks in place of the injured Petr Cech, was equally optimistic ahead of a game that will likely require him to play like Superman.
“The truth is that it is a challenge, a nice, important challenge,” said the Colombian at last night’s press conference. “We know that we are going to be playing against an excellent team, but we are here to fulfil our plan.
“We also have excellent players and we hope we are going to be able to play well and continue to advance in the Champions League.”
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Ozil’s mixed record at the Camp Nou while playing for Real Madrid
5-0 defeat / La Liga / November 2010
1-1 draw / 2nd-leg Champions League exit / May 2011
3-2 defeat and red card / Spanish Super Cup / August 2011
2-1 win / La Liga / April 2012
3-2 defeat / Spanish Super Cup / August 2012
2-2 draw / La Liga / October 2012
3-1 win / Copa del Rey / February 2013
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I’ll accept nothing less than a 3-1 victory.
Fulfil our plan boys!
Arsenal. Taking chances. Lol.
Ozil is referring to his team mates who love to squander chances he created
Ozil himself is very wasteful, if not our most wasteful, when given an opportunity in front of goal.
Too many people rate him way too high. When last was there a game where he took control and bossed midfield? Please don’t say Leicester as they had ten man and Ozil was shit until the last 15
We don’t have to win by three goals. Any two-goal victory other than 2-0 sends us through on away goals.
LOL. 😀
Yeah, but we should win by three goals…just to make a point.
If we can do it against Monaco we can do it against anybody . . .
it’s do or die for the season. Win, through and hope for more. Or lose and scrap for 4th.
this is hilarious, we couldn’t beat Watford, Swansea, Utd, Saints, Spurs we have zero chance of beating Barcelona. I honestly dont know why we didn’t just forfeit the game, get banned/fined by UEFA and just concentrate on the game vs Everton
“Pride” is a word you know? Or “respect” to the fans, the competition… What the use of fighting to enter this competition to then forfeit because the hurdle is too high? Is that what fans ask for “strong mentality”?
Such a fighting spirit you have buddy
remember turning around a 4nil at Josephe Meatza. winning 5 1. but just looking at that team n then this team… no spirit no ambision no tactic no quality n no cohesion. just so much stupidity by us the fans to believe in their lies year in year out that we will compete the coming season. while stan n wenger pocket all the sky high money we pay for a shadow of our beloved Arsenal. we have the highest ticket prices the highest cash reserves in the whole bloody world by a long distance(+250 million£) so yeah we have no… Read more »
Did your phone/computer translate what you wrote or did you actually type Josephe Meatza?
Just say San Siro – it’s much easier, and most people call it that anyway.
PS – sorry to be pedantic (not sorry really) but that was a group stage match so it didn’t overturn any result (and the game at Highbury was 0-3)
Wenger reminds me of the python kaa in jungle book and his groupies are like Mowgli.
Trust in me
Just in me
Shut your eyes
and Trust in Me
Hold still, please
You can sleep
Safe and sound
Knowing I
Am around
should be no problem because we got a world class striker in Girioud and Lollcot is the next Henry!
Only chance we have against Barca is if we get them a dodgy lasagne… Blogs, time to put the salami down and get the chef hat on.
Have I been banned? Why? Was it The Jungle Book reference?
Here I go again: WE NEED TO WIN BY THREE GOALS. Goals are binary and do not need to be differentiated by the adjective CLEAR.
Actually, we need to win by 2 goals.
That’s a very unique way of looking at it.
Wenger reminds me of the python kaa in jungle book and his groupies like Mowgli.
Trust in me
Just in me
Shut your eyes
and Trust in Me
Hold still, please
You can sleep
Safe and sound
Knowing I
Am around
Probably Ozil’s last ever Champions League game for us…..after we get shafted 7-0, he’ll run a mile!
The phrase “no shit, Sherlock” springs to mind.
Exactly my Thought . Ozil would have been counting more assists by now were all created scored by Giroud and Theo esp
dat ozil feel
We have no chance, I mean none. I am predicting a 3-1 win for barcelona and I am being generous.
Right you are.
A lot of thumbs down for correctly predicting the result, I see.
can tomorrow come already….? so that they can tell us how sorry they are
lol. what’s the phrase ‘die hard’ mean to you?
@ die hard gooner
It means I love my club and I want progress. It doesnt make me blind. have you heard of the phrase” those who love you tell you the truth no matter how painful”? I am being a die hard gooner by wanting progress.
Pretty sure that’s not an actual phrase mate
https://www.change.org/p/stop-stan-kroenke-destroying-arsenal-football-club?recruiter=30436233&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=share_twitter_responsive
The trouble with “petitions” like this that simply express an opinion, is that there’s no way to vote _against_. They’re more like a referendum with no ‘No’ on the ballot, and no way of knowing how many people have chosen not to say ‘Yes’. This is actually a gripe I have with many petitions on change.org (and don’t get me wrong, I’ve signed a few in my time, as well). And just who, in this case, are you petitioning? The Arsenal board, whose majority shareholder is Kroenke himself? It doesn’t make sense. Like it or not, Kroenke is staying unless… Read more »
How could I not be hoping against hope that we’ll turn this around? I’m a gooner and that’s what we do. Cry God for Arsenal, Henry and St George wear all the lucky charms and talismans I have and whatever happens be thankful you’re not a sp*rs droog. Whatever happens we are the Arsenal
We’ll go out tonight be we won’t be thrashed.
This match will go to the usual second-leg Arsenal Champions’ League elimination script. After a brave effort we’ll just be shaded out of it. And Le Prof will use the result as a sign of “progress after a difficult period”.
So stable doors will be shut and we’ll go home after an “honourable” exit.
I fancy a score draw.
to think that after all this years of getting abuse from your fellow supporters fatg, you have been right all this time about Arsene been past it. At what point did it dawn on you that he was past it?
8-2 at Old Trafford
Yes I bet on 2-2.
They score first then we equalise, then we go two one up and then as we are chasing for the glorious third goal, they hit us on the break and I kick the cat! (Figuratively speaking).
However, nobody thought we would do the necessary at Anfield in 1990 and nobody predicted the invincibles?
COYG!
I should be said that I also bet on 1 – 3 and 0 -3 but I am seriously Arsenal mental folks!
So far on course!
for once fats i disagree with you, sad to say i think we are going to get slaughtered. have no faith in the team or the manager to motivate them. messi etc will have a field day.
Get us 2 goals and 2 assists mesut
Nothing particularly smart to be said here… If we win and don’t go through, bollocks. If we lose 6-0, bollocks. I honestly cannot see Arsenal winning and going through this time. Barca can smell teams that are in bad shape and without any remorse send them on their way with multiple goals in the net. It’s not speculation or fantasy, that is a fact! Although, for the sake of the team spirit, a good resistance should be present here. Even some goals from our boys would do good! They need to keep their heads high whatever happens tonight!!! Good luck… Read more »
Yeah good luck team.
Give it everything you’ve got and leave your lungs on the grass.
Luck will be on our side today, as 10 minutes into the match after watching Barcelona pass the ball around with considerable grace, Welbeck picks off an over-confident backpass to the keeper who then fouls Danny just inside the box, gets the red, we get the penalty, and we’re suddenly up by 1 and against 10 men. Then after 30 minutes of crazy Barca pressing, which we are able to hold off valiantly, Suarez, frustrated by an also toothy Monreal who has been unreasonably physical with him, sinks his chompers into the latter’s arm right in front of the ref,… Read more »
I’ll watch it until we go 1-0 down, then turn it off, then spend the rest of the game feeling sick, then turn it back on five minutes before the end on the off chance of a miraculous turn around, then see the actual score, then spend the rest of the night with a heavy heart, feeling depressed, feeling angry…COYG
We need a clinical striker. Don’t get me wrong, I know they’re hard to find nowadays but it must so frustrating for Ozil when he’s creating these chances and we can’t finish them. Arsenal are an attacking team and we need someone there who can put the ball in the net.
really, I can’t see us beating barca tonight….my heart says yes and my brain says no…we will ve less of d possession surely but we shld use the ball well when we get it but I seriously doubt we will be able to do it. all d best as d time approaches.
I confess, i am not looking forward to this one. However, I refuse to succumb to the pessimism that maybe occasion deserves. why?……because It is possible! neither am i willing to hold unrealistic high expectation that will inevitably send me into a bout of depression if the result turn out to be unfavourable as predicted by most So, i am going to keep lacing myself with generous amount alcohol for anaesthetic reasons, and hope against hope that it will be a good night. Realistically, i’ll take a narrow win, or even a draw….come back home and lick my wounds….. anything… Read more »
Cry havoc and let loose the dogs of war
Come on you gooners
3 nil to the Arsenal and Walcott hattrick
Thanks
Tonight is the night! I predict 0-3 with a handsome Giroud hat-trick!
Can he tell his friend Cristiano to put on a beard and disguise himself as Giroud?
I just want to see the team to show some real fucking fight for once.
And I don’t mean lunatic two-footed tackles, but real work rate and heart, something which should be a given. There’s lots wrong with this team at the moment, but work rate is just a choice for god’s sake, even Watford had it.
Don’t fancy our chances but let’s give it fucking go anyway.
COYG
Ozil experience plus game analysis above shows win lose draw coyg coyg gd formation and take those chances yes can be a margin for a win gd luck our gunners biggest game of our season get in their fans coyg