Andrés Iniesta is set to play at the Emirates Stadium for the first time in his career on Wednesday and he believes: “Arsenal are a very good team and we will have to play really well to get a good result”.
Back in London
Iniesta will always be remembered for his winning goal in the Champions League semi final against
Chelsea two years ago that saw the team through to the Rome final, but he insisted:
“that’s water under the bridge now, two years ago it was one thing and now it’s
another. The stadium is different and so are the circumstances of our team”.
Iniseta missed last year’s game against the London club, but he is clearly looking forward to
this season’s matchup: “it should be a very attractive game and we hope to put in a
good performance. They are a team you have to take notice of and we will have be very focussed and
above all take our chances and at all times try and play our own style of football”.
League on hold
Iniesta stressed that: “we have changed our mindset now
– we have to forget the draw in Gijon the other day - this is the Champions League!”.
The World Cup winner was also not worried about which tactics Arsenal would employ:
“regardless of what they do, we have to play our own football, stay concentrated the whole
game and every one of us has to make sure we do what we are supposed to do, not make mistakes and
create chances. We have to do our job just as well in attack as in defence, because we are up
against a very serious and dangerous outfit”.
Second leg will be decisive
Iniesta also believes that: “nobody expects that the tie will be settled
after Wednesday’s game. That will have to wait until the end of the second leg, which is when
it will all be decided….. We have to take our chances and do things right to get a good
result thanks to a whole team effort”.