Arsenal are taking on Benfica in the Europa League tonight hoping to finish the job after earning a 1-1 draw in the first leg thanks to Bukayo Saka’s equaliser last week. That tie was played in Rome and this second leg is taking place in Greece due to coronavirus travel restrictions, with Arsenal as the designated ‘home’ side. Away goals count, despite neither side playing in their home stadium, so Saka’s ‘away’ strike could yet prove crucial.
With a top-four finish looking more and more unlikely with each passing week, Mikel Arteta knows how important it is that his side make progress in the Europa League and give themselves a chance of winning the tournament, which would seal Champions League qualification as well as the second piece of silverware in the Spaniard’s tenure at the club following the FA Cup last season.
Follow all the action from the game in Greece below.
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Tonight’s match is being held at the Georgios Kariskakis Stadium in Athens, Greece. It’s an Arsenal home fixture.
Why? Because the UK has implemented strict coronavirus quarantine rules around people arriving or returning from Portugal, with 10-day quarantine periods enforced and no exemptions for major sports.
That means, like the first leg that was held at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, the second will take place at a neutral venue; this time the home of Olympiakos.
Ironically, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal beat Olympiakos 1-0 away from home on 21 February 2020 at this stage of last season’s Europa League, but then lost 2-1 at home in the second leg with the Gunners going out on the away goals rule.
Benfica’s captain, Pizzi, says his side are looking to go far in the Europa League this season and that he expects a balanced game in a similar manner as the first leg. He said:
Since the beginning of the season we said that one of our ambitions was to get far in the Europa League and for that we need to beat a fairly difficult side in Arsenal. It will be a balanced game, like the first leg, and we want to be prepared so we can qualify.”
Arsenal dominated the first 45 minutes of the first leg between the sides and were unfortunate not to go in front, then eight minutes into the second half Emile Smith-Rowe was struck on the arm in the penalty area and Benfica took the lead courtesy of their captain, Pizzi, from the penalty spot. Less than two minutes later though Bukayo Saka received the ball in six-yard box and tapped in a Cedric Soares cross to bring the game back to level terms.
The away goal is always important but in this context I don’t think it’s that relevant. We take the game like there is everything still to play for.
“It’s the second half of the game and we need to go there to try to go to win the game. Another thing, without the fans, without being in our stadium, I think makes the game very tricky.
“It’s a really tough opponent. It’s a Champions League team who have been playing in these types of games for many years with a manager with huge experience.
“I really enjoy the pressure of winning and to be here and to represent this club you have to be prepared to do that. If not, you don’t belong here.”
Arsenal make just one change from the line up that started the first leg last week. Cedric Soares drops to the bench with Kieran Tierney replacing him at left back.
There are two changes for Benfica as Luca Waldschmidt and Darwin Nunez are replaced by Rafa Silva and Haris Seferovic.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says that tonight’s Europa League clash with Benfica is like a cup final and he believes his team with relish the pressure that comes with knockout football. In a pre-match press conference he said:
It’s a big season and a really important game, mentally and confidence-wise. It’s going to dictate if we’re in another competition for a few more weeks. This is really what we need.
“With this club you are always here to win the competition you are in. This is the pressure you want. It’s much better to have the pressure to win than the pressure not to lose.
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