Arsenal Vs Slavia Prague | Champions League 23/10/07

[SE13]

UEFA Champions League

ARSENAL Vs Slavia Prague



Tuesday 23rd October 2007

7:45pm

Ashburton Grove

[SE13]

After quite a difficult match today, where we really had to grind a result out, how do we see this one going?

I hate to be premature, but grinding results out is what makes champions, and/or cup winners.

Discuss.

[Cheese]

I think the team will be

GK - Almunia
RB - Sagna
CB - Kolo
CB - Gallas
LB - Clichy
RM - Rosicky
CM - Cesc
CM - Flamini
LM - Hleb
CF - Dudu/Theo
CF - Ade

Arsene wenger hinted Theo may start tomorrow

I do think that Slavia will be harder that Sparta Prague but i see us being able to control the game and get the result needed, we haven't conceded in the champions league this season and i don't see us breaking that tomorrow night.

Come on Arsenal

[StLGooner]

I'd like to see Theo start. Just please don't start Eboue again, he does not impress me at all.

[Cheese]

Like i said in an earlier post i can't see this game being much of a problem although if Arsenal go into the game thinkinh it's going to be easy then...wel then we will slip up, i didn't know much about Slavia Prague but just been reading about them and they seem to have caused a few upsets on the way here so hopefully Arsenal will go out for tomorrow nights game and just play how they know they can and please make it an easy gome for us gooners

Slavia Prague 3 Ajax 1 was probably the most shocking aggregate score of the Champions League qualifiers. So if Arsenal think they can just turn up and roll over another team from the Czech capital, they should think again. Clearly, Slavia are better than Sparta.

The runaway leaders of the Czech league even have a Champions League winner in their ranks. Vladimir Smicer scored for Liverpool in that famous 2005 Final against Milan and spent six seasons at Anfield. Unfortunately for Slavia, an injury will deprive them of Smicer's considerable influence at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.

With Smicer out, Slavia will rely even more on Stanislav Vlcek, the scorer of two goals against Ajax. They also need a big performance from goalkeeper Martin Vaniak, who saved Slavia in their first qualifying tie against MSK Zilina and then kept Ajax at bay in the next round. He can expect a busy night against Arsenal too.

We spoke to Czech journalist Karel Haring of Zeniksport ahead of Slavia's trip to the Emirates. Read on for his views on Slavia's strengths, their group games so far, the lesson they learned against Sevilla and the tactics they are likely to deploy on Tuesday night.

THE STORY SO FAR
"I would say that Slavia are definitely stronger than Sparta at the moment. They play much better football and are more entertaining. I think they can cause more trouble for Arsenal, especially in the home game. It will be a very difficult game for Slavia at Emirates Stadium but on the other hand they can be more dangerous than Sparta were in August.

"It was a really big surprise especially when they won both games against Ajax. The coach already said that the elimination of Ajax is the biggest success in his career and only reaching the Semi-Finals of the Champions League would be as good. So obviously it was very big for Slavia.

"As far as the group games are concerned, I think in the first game against Steaua Bucharest [a 2-1 win] they were still playing with the euphoria of qualifying for the group stage. Slavia didn't play too well but they were determined and they showed that they can be dangerous going forward. In the second game against Sevilla [a 4-2 defeat] it was a good lesson, they found out what the Champions League was about. You can't compare the quality of Steaua and Sevilla. They had many injured players but the Slavia performance in defence was really horrible."

MEN OF THE MOMENT
"Definitely there is one big hero and that is Stanislav Vlcek. He is very dangerous on the counter-attack and this season he has scored goals. Sometimes he has problems with finishing for example in August against MSK Zilina [in the Champions League qualifying round] he failed to take a number of chances. But he scored the decisive goals against Ajax and at the moment he is full of confidence and in very good form.

"The goalkeeper, Martin Vaniak, was Slavia's second most important player in the qualifying rounds. He saved them in the penalty shoot-out against Zilina. Maybe he was playing better in August than he is now but he is still experienced and I think he will have a lot of work to do on Tuesday night."

CAUSE FOR CONCERN
"Vladimir Smicer is definitely unavailable for this game, maybe he will be back for the return game in Prague. I think it will be a race against time because he has problems. They will miss his personality on the pitch because he has a lot of experience in this kind of game. On the other hand Smicer played only 13 minutes in both games against Ajax so Slavia proved they could play without him."

TALKING TACTICS
"I think it will be different to a normal Czech league game. Slavia are usually favourites and are an attacking team but I think they will take a lesson from their game at Sevilla and will play more carefully. I expect them to play with five midfielders and Vlcek up front. They will look to play on the counter-attack."

IMPRESSIONS OF ARSENAL
"Cesc Fabregas has had a really impressive season so far, he is the star of the future for Arsenal. He can be a star for years. I like Emmanuel Eboue, he is a really good right back, I like Emmanuel Adebayor up front, but for me the biggest person of the season for Arsenal is Cesc Fabregas."

[rvtheace]

Doable. Very doable. Must do!

[Trina]

10 hours to go!

[absolutely_fabregas]

I think the team will be

GK - Almunia
RB - Sagna
CB - Kolo
CB - Gallas
LB - Clichy
RM - Walcott
CM - Cesc
CM - Flamini
LM - Rosicky
AM - Hleb
CF - Ade

I hope he goes with this one, as im pretty sure hleb will play in the hole against pool and manure

but id giv theo a start to see what he can do, i think eboue will start the other games (or maybe diaby)

[Cheese]

Wenger hinted if Theo starts he starts up front I hope he does

[Cheese]

The times (who usually are right on this) say the team will be a 4-4-1-1 formation

Almunia
Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy.
Rosicky, Cesc, Flamini, Diaby.
Hleb.
Adebayor.

That is good playing Hleb there becuase thats his most affective position but Diaby on the left..?

[absolutely_fabregas]

abou has been doing the business on the left, obv hes too predominantly right footed though which is a factor

he will have to do the same as a few weeks ago, cut inside and unleash an exocet into the top corner

[StLGooner]

I actually had a dream last night of Cesc scoring the first goal. If it happens that will be freaky

[absolutely_fabregas]

I actually had a dream last night of Cesc scoring the first goal. If it happens that will be freaky

im gona put a bet on it, i hope your right joseph

[Trina]

An hour and a half to go,

Today seems to have been so long!!

Come on Arsenal!

[StLGooner]

An hour and a half to go,

Today seems to have been so long!!

Come on Arsenal!

try being at work and waiting, it seems even longer.