Barcelona were sent crashing out of the Champions League this evening, but one Catalans’ star has made one big prediction involving Arsenal
Barcelona forward Raphinha told Atletico Madrid fans they will not reach the Champions League final. Atletico are on the same side of the draw as Arsenal and will face the Gunners in the semi-final, if Mikel Arteta’s side overcome Sporting Lisbon in the second-leg of their tie.
Arsenal are the favourites against the Portuguese heavyweights, as a result of their 1-0 away triumph in the first-leg. If they do beat Sporting, Atletico, six months after losing 4-0 to the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium, will be waiting.
Diego Simeone’s side beat Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate, despite losing 2-1 to Hansi Flick’s side this evening. After the match, when Atletico fans were in full celebration mode, Raphinha strode onto the pitch and sent a message of his own to the home supporters.
He pointed at heckling home fans and then pointed in the other way with his right thumb, as if to say ‘You will be out in the semi-final.’
It’s a confident prediction from the Brazilian forward, who looked close to a move to north London before Barcelona convinced him to arrive at the Nou Camp instead. Raphinha was not able to save his side from tumbling out of the competition in Europe.
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Simeone’s side have, almost always, been the underdogs in the competition. Should Arsenal wrap up their place in the last four by getting at least a draw at home to Sporting, the bookies will likely put the north Londoners as the favourites.
In October, Arsenal outclassed Atletico 4-0 with goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and a brace from Viktor Gyokeres securing an emphatic 4-0 home triumph.
Considering that result, Arsenal will surely have plenty of belief they can do what Raphinha has predicted. However, last weekend’s home loss to Bournemouth brought the Gunners back down to earth, after the high of the dramatic late winner in Lisbon.
The joy of Kai Havertz’s dramatic injury time goal in the first-leg against Sporting was eviscerated by a poor home display against Andoni Iraola’s side. At his press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Arteta tried to rally his players and the club’s fan-base by insisting he is excited about the upcoming challenges.
He said: “Fire! I’m on fire. I’m on fire. That’s it. Nothing else. I’m dreaming so much. I’ve done so much to be in this position because I know how this club was. I’ve done so much against anything that this is beauty.
“I just see beauty, opportunity, and I want to get it done for all these people that have been in this journey with us. And because they deserve it, because it’s been unbelievable. That’s what has driven me every single day.
“I have zero fear. Fear I had when, ‘Oh, if we don’t get this done, this club, I don’t know what is going to happen.’ That was fear. Now, there’s no fear. It’s just purpose, fire, direction and conviction that we’re going to do it.”
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