Xavi and Wilshere battle for the ball in the first leg of the tie.
Xavi and Wilshere battle for the ball in the first leg of the tie. Reuters

Read the Match Preview of the classic UEFA Champions League encounter between Barcelona and Arsenal!

Tuesday evening will have football-lovers glued to one of the most anticipated clashes of the season as Barcelona host Arsenal in the second-leg of the UEFA Champions League last-16 round.

What makes the tie such a hotly anticipated spectacle is largely, as was mentioned in preview of the first-leg, the team's purist attitude towards playing the game. They're probably two of best passing sides in World football, though Barcelona are miles ahead having found the right mixture between attractiveness and effectiveness which has seen them pass through the strongest opposition to win trophies aplenty.

Despite the superiority of the Catalans, the first-leg saw something of an upset when Arsenal ran out 2-1 winners, with a strong performance in the after the change of ends. Second half goals from Van Persie and Arshavin cancelled out David Villa's first half opener, and Arsenal were worthy winners. However, all hasn't been well for the Gunners since then.

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