Arsenal legend and former Barcelona star,Thierry Henry has revealed the simple tactics the English club needs to adopt to come out victorious against La Liga champions, Barcelona.
According to Daily Mail UK, Henry strongly believes that to overcome the Spanish giants, Arsene Wengers’ team must sacrifice its attacking game.
Henry says that Arsenal will need to ‘play on the counter-attack and be content with just 30 per cent possession if they are to have any chance of beating Barcelona’.
Arsenal host Luis Enrique’s men in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, before taking on Lionel Messi and Co at the Nou Camp on March 16.
Although Barcelona are favourites to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition, Arsenal legend Henry believes the Londoners stand a chance if Arsene Wenger is willing to compromise his principles.
The Frenchman, who left the Emirates to join Barcelona in 2007, wrote in his column for The Sun: “They (Arsenal) have to accept they will probably only have 30 per cent possession and must be so efficient when they do get the ball.
“The whole team must defend more as a unit and the wingers must tuck in and play more in their own half.
“You very rarely get the chance to play against Barcelona so you must be prepared to sacrifice parts of your attacking game, home and away.
“Arsenal must be brave on the ball,’ he added. “They need to stay compact, play on the counter and score every time they get in their penalty area.
“They can’t be exposed in the middle and must force Barcelona to run back 60 yards before they get the ball. If you allow them to stay in your half for wave after wave, it becomes almost impossible to defend.’
To Barcelona, the team with which he won a Champions League title in 2009, Henry advised that stopping the duo of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil is critical to victory at both Emirates Stadium and Nou Camp.
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