Champions League Tonight - Déjà vu?!

Talk about classic football games! Tonight sees the second night of a welcome return to the knock-out stages of the Champions League with FC Barcelona travelling to London and the Emirates to face Arsenal in a repeat fixture from last year. Gone are the paper stories this year of "Cesc coming home" and the like - perhaps fuelled by constant speculation that Real Madrid will be bidding for him (handily this morning's press has a story with Perez denying the fact).

Barcelona will be looking to regain the title of Champion of Europe after going out last year to Inter, the actual champions and Arsenal looking to avenge their defeat from last year, too. With neither team dipping into their debt ridden pockets to bolster squads in the January transfer window there is no reliance on a new addition to shine, rather the usual suspects will need to be on their game. It will surely be a show of the two football minds in reality - Arsene Wenger with his football philosophy of how he wants to play, and Barça actually playing that way without (seemingly) really trying. Messi has even come out to say the Barça players are scared of Walcott.

Lets hope for a great game and although I think Arsenal will really have to be on top of their game in every position to win over the two legs, they have a good chance with the home advantage tonight and I'd love them to win for the tension that the return leg in Barcelona will bring along with it. It's always better when a team just HAS to come out attacking as they have no other option, than a cagey draw playing for the breakaway goal like so many of last year's world cup matches. Nobody wants to lose and sometimes "football" can be sacrificed for to that end. Prediction? OK, I'll say 2-1.

Coming to the city this month? There are some great last minute Barcelona apartment deals to take advantage of. Or how about the return leg of the Arsenal match here in Barcelona on 8th March?!