VILLARREAL TICKETS v ARSENAL: All change for the second leg

While Arsenal have a narrow lead to defend from the first leg, Villarreal will have been pleased to have prevented the Gunners’ midfield from easing through at will and making the scoreline worse. The narrow formation worked well at Highbury for the visitors and did not allow Arsene Wenger’s team to play their usual passing game to any great effect, but that will have to change in the second leg in El Madrigal.
While the stifling of the midfield was good at preventing the opposition playing, it also meant that there was little room for Juan Roman Riquelme to display the attacking qualities that he have helped steer the team to this stage of the Champions League. Coach Manuel Pellegrini will be quietly confident that his team can register a much larger number of shots on Jens Lehmann’s goal in this game as they have proven so good at doing in previous rounds.
One major talking point from the match at Highbury was Gilberto Silva’s crunching tackle on Jose Mari where it appeared that the former Milan player had cried wolf once too often and was not given the benefit of the doubt by the refere when it mattered most.
Arsenal have proven that they can defend a lead as they did against both Real Madrid and Juventus and will hope to set out with a similar game plan despite Wenger stating that he intends to carry on attacking. The danger against Villarreal is that sitting back will allow their strong midfield to dominate and there are very few teams that could hold out against unceasing pressure for an entire game.
Goals will once again be at a premium as Villarreal have engineered their route to the semi finals by the tightest of margins.
An away goal will almost certainly kill the tie, while an early home goal will set the stadium alight. The first match gave few clues as to the outcome, because of the obvious change in tactics that both sides will have to introduce for this meeting.
With it so finely balanced Sports Matter is sitting on the fence.