Barcelona vs Arsenal: It’s fine in training, but Barca won’t kid around against Arsene Wenger's side

David Ramos/Getty Images
James Olley17 March 2016

Most games this season have been little more than child’s play for Barcelona so what happened at their training ground on the eve of tonight’s match was rather apt.

Three children managed to find their way past security to burst onto the pitch during the team’s final session before attempting to finish the job against Arsenal.

Instead of Barca reacting with shock or anger, the youngsters were simply invited to join in.

Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique instigated an impromptu keep-ball session and as the youngsters tried in vain to intercept passes pinging all around them, it was easy to envisage Arsenal’s beleaguered players caught in the same trap some four miles or so west at the Camp Nou.

“It was harmless,” said manager Luis Enrique. “I am concerned about the fact the kids were not at school. I hope they were on holidays because otherwise how am I going to tell my kids they have to be at school and not watching the training sessions.

“The players were nice and played with them. Most of you are unable to say you have played with Barcelona’s players.”

The serene mood in Barca’s camp is in stark contrast to the growing turbulence within which Arsene Wenger is trying to keep the Gunners on course. Luis Enrique claimed it was impossible for a manager to stay in a job for 20 years, citing his own preference for short-term contracts to ensure clubs are not tied into big pay-offs should things go wrong and players do not became anaesthetised to the motivational tools of one individual.

What Arsenal must do in Barcelona

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Results always shape perceptions but it felt radically progressive rather than deeply unstable given Barca head into this game eight points clear at the top of La Liga and with a 2-0 advantage as they look to reach the Champions League quarter-final for the ninth consecutive season.

It was intriguing that when specifically asked about the threat Mesut Ozil could pose, Luis Enrique singled out three “quality players” in order of “[Theo] Walcott, Ozil and [Alexis] Sanchez”. Walcott’s stock may not be especially high among Arsenal fans at present but they have long memories in Catalonia and the problems his pace caused, particularly for Maxwell in the Gunners’ 2-1 first leg win in 2011. That said, they must surely only be minor concerns. The most taxing question Luis Enrique was asked in nearly 23 minutes of gentle back and forth was concerning Messi’s frankly dreadful penalty record.

The only negative of Saturday’s 6-0 stroll against Getafe was Messi’s eighth failed spot-kick of the season. Barcelona have been awarded 15 so far and became the first team to miss so many in a La Liga season. It is no doubt a minor embarrassment for the world’s greatest player but none of those errors have yet proved telling. There was nothing here to suggest anything is about to knock Barcelona out of their stride.

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