Arsenal forward Mesut Ozil has spoken about his club’s upcoming Champions League tie with holders Barcelona and has insisted that the Gunners are not scared of the Catalan giants.
The German star, who signed for Arsenal from Barcelona’s hated rivals Real Madrid, did admit that the holders are currently the best team in the world, but insists that he is relishing the chance to go up against some of the best players on the planet.
He said:
Barcelona are the hardest team in the world to play against. Barcelona are the best team at the moment in the world. We know that but as a player I look forward to encounters like this. For me it is important to have these big games, it’s nice to play against the best teams; to compete with them is a big opportunity for us.
The 27-year-old also spoke about the high levels of respect that the Gunners have for Barca, but he insisted that there is no fear in the Arsenal camp ahead of the last 16 tie.
We respect Barcelona but they will respect us too. We are not afraid of Barcelona. We just need to play our game and we can beat them. There is no fear. In football everything’s possible.
From his position, Ozil will be faced with some of Europe’s best midfielders and defenders, while the Arsenal back four will be up against one of the best front threes in history.
However, the German said Arsenal’s defenders will not be scared of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, but they will be ready to test themselves.
It is a tough match but I don’t think our defenders were afraid after the draw. It’s a big opportunity for them to prove themselves against the best attack in the world, players like Suarez, Messi, Neymar. It will be an exciting game, with the possibility of lots of goals, but it’s not like we are afraid.
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