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Manuel Pellegrini has challenged his Manchester City players to react to Sunday's FA Cup defeat to Wigan Athletic with a win at Barcelona.
Wigan replicated their FA Cup heroics from last season's final to beat City 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium thanks to Jordi Gomez's penalty and James Perch's second-half strike.
Samir Nasri's volley ultimately counted for little, and Pellegrini was quick to hold his entire side accountable for defeat.
City will now travel to Camp Nou on Wednesday for their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 second-leg tie trailing 2-0 from the initial game.
But the Chilean has laid down the gauntlet to his side, and remains hopeful that they can secure a quarter-final spot in Europe.
He said: "I think we were a bit unlucky in the last 35 minutes but we gave 55 minutes to Wigan without playing at the pace we needed to play.
"I think we all work together and we all have the responsibility to win. It was a special week after winning League Cup and the international games but I think we all have the same responsibility.
"We have to continue playing Champions League and Premier League; we have a lot of things to fight for between now and the end of the season.
"First we must try and win in Barcelona and then we must try to continue to reach the top of the table with the three games we have in hand.
"It's a difficult game, but we must react tomorrow morning. We will try to do a very good game there and we will see what happens against Barcelona."
Bayern Munich tie far from over, says Oxlade-Chamberlain
By Jamie Dunn
Mar 10, 2014 10:03:00 AM
The Arsenal midfielder says his side have a "100 per cent" chance of turning over a two-goal deficit at the Allianz Arena to reach the Champions League quarter-finals
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain says Bayern Munich know Arsenal are not out of their Champions League last 16 tie despite a first leg defeat.
Bayern hold a two-goal advantage going into the second leg after winning 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium, courtesy of goals from Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller.
But Oxlade-Chamberlain believes the Gunners have a "100 per cent" chance of turning the tie around, and can take confidence from their victory at the Allianz Arena last season.
"Last season we went there 3-1 down and everyone wrote us off but we managed to get a good 2-0 win there," he told the club's official website. "We'll be feeling we can take something from that and in football a lot of things can happen.
"There is a 100 per cent chance we can do it. We are a top side, they will know the job's not done and we know the job's not done."
Oxlade-Chamberlain is also relishing the prospect of a first trip to Wembley with Arsenal after the Gunners beat Everton 4-1 to reach the FA Cup semi-finals, where they will face Wigan.
"You watch FA Cup games at Wembley when you are growing up and that's where you want to be," he added. "It's the first time we've been there since I've been at Arsenal so it's definitely a big thing for us.
"But we can't get carried away, we want to be excited but approach it very professionally and be as calm and cool as we can.
"Hopefully we can get through and get to the final."
Arsenal will win if we let them have the ball, warns Guardiola
Mar 10, 2014 10:42:00 AM
The former Barcelona coach has urged his side not to take the Gunners lightly despite their 2-0 lead from the first leg at the Emirates
Pep Guardiola has insisted Bayern Munich must go in search of victory again when they face Arsenal in the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie on Tuesday.
The Bundesliga leaders enter the game as huge favourites after a 2-0 win in London three weeks ago, but the former Barcelona coach is taking nothing for granted and knows Arsenal have players who can hurt his side.
After a 3-1 first-leg win at Arsenal in the same round of the competition last season, Arsene Wenger's men came within a whisker of springing a shock, triumphing 2-0 at the Allianz Arena - only to go out on away goals.
"If we let Arsenal keep the ball, we will have a lot of problems," Guardiola told reporters.
"They have a lot of quality, every single player has unbelievable technical skills with the ball. They have players like [Santi] Cazorla, [Mesut] Ozil, [Tomas] Rosicky and [Mikel] Arteta - it is no problem for them to keep the ball in their lines.
"So the only way to avoid that is to keep the ball for ourselves - and obviously we have to be aggressive. What I noticed about my team was that we are at our best when we just think about attacking.
"If we start to speculate and think about what we may have done wrong in London, then they have a good chance to win and we won't go through to the quarter-final.
"I know Arsenal very well, I played two times against them with Barcelona. I know their coach. If we have the ball, we will be in the next round. If Arsenal have the ball, they will be in the quarter-final."
Tuesday's encounter at the Allianz Arena is scheduled to kick off at 20:45CET.
How much would Champions League exits cost English clubs?
Mar 10, 2014 3:15:00 PM
There is €19.3 million more in prize money on offer to the eventual winner but TV revenues are already allocated and Italian teams pose little threat on Uefa coefficients
ANALYSIS
By George Ankers
Tuesday sees the beginning of what could be a humbling fortnight for the Premier League clubs. Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United teeter on the brink of elimination from the Champions League, while only Chelsea are favourites to progress from the round of 16.
As always happens when teams from one country underperform simultaneously, the debate has begun over whether English clubs are falling behind in quality compared to the rest of Europe's big hitters. Is there a risk of a more serious decline?
The Champions League is the most lucrative club competition in the world. In 2012-13, a total of €904.6 million of revenue, comprising prize money and TV fees, was distributed by Uefa across the 32 sides who reached the group stage. Those who stay in get richer and those who fall out can struggle to get back in - just ask Liverpool how much effort it takes.
The concern potentially goes beyond just the four clubs involved, however. Entry to the tournament is based on Uefa's coefficient ranking for all member countries. England has long been in the top three on the continent, thereby granted four places for Premier League qualifiers each season, but these rankings are based on performances - if all four English clubs were to go out now, would the country be at risk of dropping back down to three qualifiers?
The good news for Premier League clubs is that such an eventuality is a long way away. England is currently second in the coefficient rankings, 2.536 points above third-placed Germany, with Italy some distance behind on 64.938.
With the coefficient based on performances over the past five seasons from both the Champions League and Europa League to determine entry into both, recent history is very much on England's side. Chelsea's triumphs in both competitions in 2011-12 and 2012-13, plus the relatively regular progression of Premier League teams to the middle-to-late knockout rounds of the Champions League, have created a sizeable gap.
Italy, by contrast, endured some particularly poor years in 2010-11 and 2011-12, which will both continue to count against them for the immediate future. Each of those campaigns saw only one Serie A club in the Champions League quarter-finals (where they were eliminated), two ousted in the last 16 and one falling at the play-off for entry to the groups. In the same period, Italy only had three qualifications from the Europa League groups and even saw Roma knocked out by Slovan Bratislava in a play-off.
In the worst-case scenario for England this season, all five of its clubs (four in the Champions League plus Tottenham) would exit Europe in March. Meanwhile, AC Milan would recover from a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Atletico Madrid to improbably win the Champions League. After one of Juventus and Fiorentina eliminated the other in their Europa League last-32 tie, they would go on to face Napoli in the final.
At the end of such a season, England would still have a lead of 8.653 coefficient points. Even if exactly the same season kept repeating itself every year from now onwards, Serie A would need two further years to usurp the Premier League. Given that such a scenario would require Italian teams to suddenly and consistently do much better in Europe than they have of late, any worries about a long-term shift can be safely forgotten for at least the next couple of years.
The more immediate concerns, however, are - as is always the case in football now - financial. Would Champions League exits now cause much lost sleep in England?
The truth is that there would be a hit - but not a huge one. While broadcasting revenue from participation in the Champions League is indeed significant, teams need only reach the group stages to get their share.
This is listed by Uefa in its breakdown of revenue as the 'market pool' and, while some clubs earn more from it than others, it is not necessarily the biggest club or the best-performing who get the biggest share. The fees are allocated depending on how valuable the TV market is in that country - while Arsenal earned €15.8m (£13.1m) from it in 2012-13, Montpellier (who performed worse in the same group) took home €22.8m (£18.9m).
Having qualified but then been eliminated in the last 16, the Gunners earned €15.6m (£12.9m) in prize money that year, while Manchester City and Chelsea were both knocked out in the groups and took home €10.1m (£8.4m) and €12.1m (£10m) respectively. However, they picked up €18.7m (£15.5m) each from the market pool. Simply turning up can be more lucrative than reaching the knockouts but no further.
However, the market pool only accounts for 45.3 per cent of the total revenue on offer in 2012-13; prize money does add up. Winning four and drawing one group game on their way to winning the final saw Bayern Munich make €35.9m in prizes. At this point, then, with the market pool allocated, how much more is on offer for the remaining English clubs?
The answer is €19.3m. If - taking the likeliest-looking candidate as an example - Chelsea finish off Galatasaray, they would earn €3.9m then €4.9m for reaching the quarter and semi-finals, before contesting the final for a €10.5m jackpot. The runner-up is awarded €6.5m. Were all four to stage miraculous recoveries and go on to share all four semi-final places, they would between them bring €26.7m more into the English game.
The potential €19m left to claim is, then, a significant sum but not one likely to make or break any of the four gigantic commercial entities involved.
If anyone might suffer most from its loss, it would be Manchester United. The Red Devils look extremely unlikely to qualify for next season's Champions League and so will be seeing none of that revenue in 2014-15 - perhaps for even longer, should they continue to struggle under David Moyes.
However, in the short term, all four teams have already banked over 60% of their potential earnings from a Champions League run just by reaching this point. It represents a healthy financial baseline for Premier League achievement, even if on-pitch performances can be the subject of debate. While four eliminations now would represent a disappointment, it is by no means a crisis point for England in Europe.
Soccer fans walk on a plastic pitch with a Champions League football logo on it in Trafalgar Square in central London, May 24 2013. REUTERS/Toby Melville
(Reuters) - U.S. automaker Ford is ending its sponsorship of the Champions League after more than two decades.
The partnership dates back to the 1992-93 season but will conclude with the final in Lisbon in May, European soccer's governing body UEFA said on its website (www.uefa.org) on Monday.
Ford and other car companies have been faced with a shrinking market in Europe in recent years because of the impact of the financial crisis.
"Now is the right time for Ford to move in a new direction as we accelerate new product launches in Europe, with more than 25 new vehicles coming over the next five years," said Stephen Odell, president of Ford Europe.
Brewer Heineken last year renewed its Champions League sponsorship in a deal that runs until 2018.
Barca, Bayern cast huge shadow over English opponents
By Tom Hayward
LONDON Mon Mar 10, 2014 2:18am GMT
(Reuters) - Arsenal and Manchester City face monumental tasks when they visit European powerhouses Bayern Munich and Barcelona looking to overturn 2-0 deficits in the second legs of their Champions League last-16 ties.
Arsenal must overcome Pep Guardiola and his red-hot Bayern side at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday after goals from Toni Kroos and Thomas Mueller condemned them to defeat in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium last month.
City, meanwhile, travel to the Nou Camp on Wednesday with their own mountain to climb after goals from Lionel Messi and Dani Alves gave Barcelona a commanding advantage midway through the tie.
In the week's other last-16 ties, Atletico Madrid face AC Milan at the Vicente Calderon with a 1-0 lead on Tuesday before Paris St Germain host Bayer Leverkusen at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday with a 4-0 advantage after the first leg.
Arsenal, third in the Premier League, have the unenviable task of trying to become only the second team to beat the runaway Bundesliga leaders at home this season.
The Gunners can take heart from last season's visit to the same venue where they won 2-0 and only failed to make it through to the quarter-finals by virtue of an away goal after Bayern had won the first leg 3-1 in London.
Arsene Wenger will be buoyed by his team's 4-1 win over Everton in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday, which represents their most realistic chance of a trophy this season.
"Psychologically, it puts us in a good mind for Munich," said Wenger. "We can be inspired by our focus and our desire.
"It was a high-quality performance from the first minute to the last minute and we can go to Bayern in the same spirit.
"The statistics are against us, but let's make sure that the performance goes for us, and then we have a chance."
Wenger was pleased by the display of Mesut Ozil who scored the opening goal, provided the assist for Arsenal's fourth and put in a vastly improved performance ahead of the must-win second leg.
"I think the goal was important for him," said Wenger. "You sometimes want him to take more of a chance because he always looks for the good pass.
"He also did a lot of what you would call 'dirty work'. He tracked back a lot on counter-attacks and when he behaves like that you have a better chance to win the game."
TOUCHLINE BAN
Manchester City's task against Barcelona is every bit as difficult and they will have to do it without manager Manuel Pellegrini who will be serving the first game of a two-match touchline ban at the Camp Nou on Tuesday.
The Chilean was punished after remarks he made about Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson, claiming some of the official's decisions in the first leg were "not impartial".
His comments related to Eriksson's decision to award a penalty and send off City's Martin Demichelis despite his challenge on Messi appearing to take place outside the box.
The 60-year-old reluctantly accepted the ban and turned his attention to Wednesday where "revenge" is on the agenda for Pellegrini and City.
"We will try to make a good match against Barcelona to try to have our revenge and continue in the Champions League," he said.
In Wednesday's other game Paris St Germain, top of Ligue 1, host Bayer Leverkusen, third in the Bundesliga, comfortable in the knowledge that only a monumental turnaround will prevent them reaching their second successive quarter-final.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been in imperious form in the competition so far scoring ten goals, including two in the first leg, to trail only Cristiano Ronaldo in the competition's goalscoring charts this season.
La Liga title contenders Atletico Madrid will be confident of progressing after a late Diego Costa header gave them a priceless away goal to take back to Madrid on Tuesday.
Milan, who have been crowned European champions seven times, are having a forgettable season languishing in tenth in Serie A, 37 points behind leaders Juventus.
Milan coach Clarence Seedorf, who won the Champions League four times at three different clubs including twice with Milan in 2003 and 2007, was confident his team could rise to the occasion.
"With courage, this kind of optimism and a little more luck we are about to turn everything around, I'm sure of it," Seedorf said.
UEFA Champions League: Atletico Madrid 4 Milan 1 (5-1 agg)
11 March 2014
Atletico Madrid progressed to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 1997 by easing past Milan 5-1 on aggregate.
Diego Simeone's men, who won the first leg 1-0, triumphed 4-1 at Vincente Calderon in the return game on Tuesday as goals from Diego Costa and Arda Turan sandwiched Kaka's close-range header in the first half.
Raul Garcia and Costa's second added further gloss to the scoreline inside the final 20 minutes.
The hosts were good value for the victory in an entertaining fixture in the Spanish capital and, with just three points separating them from city rivals Real at the top of La Liga, Simeone's side can now continue their assault on the domestic and European front.
Atletico made the perfect start as Costa – who also scored in the first encounter – was once more the thorn in Milan's defence, stretching athletically to meet Koke's sublime cross to score his sixth Champions League goal in five matches.
Former Real Madrid man Kaka threatened a comeback for Clarence Seedorf's men with a close-range header, but Atletico led at the break in fortunate circumstances courtesy of Turan's deflected volley.
The match was wrapped up on 70 minutes when Raul Garcia leapt to head home Gabi's free-kick, before Costa bagged his brace in the closing stages to send Atletico into the quarters for the first time in 17 years.
It took the home side just three minutes to double their first-leg advantage. Koke curled a sublime cross towards the far post and Costa showed great athleticism to divert a side-footed volley past Christian Abbiati.
Milan settled into the encounter after a lacklustre start and were back in the tie on 27 minutes with the equaliser on the night.
The ball was spread wide to Andrea Poli and he stood up a pin-point cross to the back post where Kaka headed home from close range.
The Brazilian then missed a clear chance to put Milan ahead on away goals, as he leapt to meet Adel Taarabt's centre, but succeeded only in heading over from six yards.
That miss proved costly as Turan restored Atletico's lead in fortuitous circumstances five minutes before the break. The Turkey international's volley took a huge deflection off Daniele Bonera before looping over Abbiati and nestling in the bottom corner.
Raul Garcia nearly made it three on the stroke of half-time with an acrobatic free-kick that went just wide.
Atletico started the second half in the same swift fashion that they had started the first and captain Gabi smashed a 20-yard effort against the crossbar on 48 minutes.
Shortly after the hour mark, Costa held up a ball from the byline and Miranda headed straight at Abbiati from eight yards.
The pressure finally told when the tie was put beyond all doubt 20 minutes from time, as Raul Garcia rose high to nod Gabi's free-kick into the bottom corner.
Robinho went close to reducing the deficit when he cracked an effort against the crossbar.
There was time for one last piece of action, however, as Costa fired across goal into the bottom corner in the 85th minute.
UEFA Champions League: Bayern Munich 1 Arsenal 1 (3-1 agg)
11 March 2014
Bayern Munich stayed on course to become the first side to retain the UEFA Champions League by claiming a 1-1 draw to ease past Arsenal.
The holders dominated much of Wednesday's round-of-16 second leg at the Allianz Arena, and despite being unable to secure a deserved win on the night, they progressed 3-1 on aggregate following their first-leg victory in London.
Arsenal beat Bayern 2-0 in the second leg at the same stage of the Champions League last year, but a repeat performance never looked likely and Bastian Schweinsteiger put Pep Guardiola's side in front early in the second half.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger urged referee Svein Oddvar Moen to give his side a fair chance before the match, and the Norwegian official did just that by allowing Lukas Podolski's equaliser to stand after he appeared to push Philipp Lahm shortly after Schweinsteiger's opener.
Lukasz Fabianski, stepping in for the suspended Wojciech Szczesny, saved Thomas Muller's stoppage-time penalty after Laurent Koscielny upended Arjen Robben, but the tie was all over by then.
The Bavarian giants progressed on away goals against Wenger's men just over 12 months ago, but this was a far more comfortable victory and Bayern were left to dream of becoming the first team since Milan in 1990 retain their European crown.
Guardiola had called on his side to be positive and deprive Arsenal of possession and they adhered to his orders in the opening stages, with Schweinsteiger forcing Fabianski into an early save with a long-range drive.
Bayern were dictating the play and Javi Martinez found the back of the net with a volley 26 minutes in, but the Spaniard was correctly flagged for offside, then Laurent Koscielny was well positioned to get in the way of the lively Robben's shot.
Arsenal were struggling to contain the hosts by that point, and Fabianski had to be alert to keep out Mario Gotze's shot as they weathered the storm to keep Bayern at bay until half-time.
Mesut Ozil was replaced by Tomas Rosicky at the break due to a tight hamstring and Bayern picked up where they left off, but referee Moen rightly waved play when Robben went down theatrically after bursting into the penalty area.
It appeared to be only a matter of time before Guardiola's team went in front and the opening goal duly arrived 10 minutes after the break, when Ribery was afforded too much time to pick out Schweinsteiger and the midfielder finished clinically.
Bayern were only in front for two minutes, but they had every right to feel aggrieved with Podolski's equaliser after their former player appeared to push Germany team-mate Lahm before beating Manuel Neuer at his near post with a vicious left-foot strike.
Mario Mandzukic was then too casual when presented with a great chance to put Bayern back in front and Fabianski was alert to the danger.
Szczesny's deputy then stopped Muller's late spot-kick after Koscielny had brought down Robben, but that was never going to prove costly as Bayern cruised through.
The Bayern Munich midfielder admits his side should have been more clinical but is delighted to have got another 90 minutes under his belt
Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger believes Arsenal took a defensive approach during the two sides' 1-1 draw on Tuesday.
The Bavarians progressed to the last eight of the Champions League 3-1 on aggregate despite seeing Thomas Muller's late penalty saved by Lukasz Fabianski as they were held by Arsene Wenger's side.
The Germany international, who scored the opener for the hosts prior to Lukas Podolski's equaliser, feels that his side had the better of the encounter, but that the Gunners' negative approach made it hard to break them down.
"We tried to apply pressure and attack and Arsenal pulled everyone back and tried to close down the space," he told the club's official website.
"We looked to get at them down the flanks and our penetration was reasonably good, but we failed to score."
Schweinsteiger is nursing his way back to fitness after having ankle surgery earlier this season and was delighted to get a run-out in such a high-profile fixture.
"For me personally it's great to play 90 minutes in the Champions League against a team as good as this."
The former midfielder spoke of a psychological weakness in his side after their defeat to Diego Simeone's men and insists he doesn't regret taking over the Italian club
Clarence Seedorf believes his AC Milan side lacked the psychological edge to overcome Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Seedorf witnessed his side fall to a 4-1 defeat at the Vicente Calderon in Tuesday's last-16 second-leg tie, as the Spanish side completed a 5-1 aggregate victory.
Kaka sparked hopes of a comeback by cancelling out Diego Costa's early opener, however, a fortunate Arda Turan volley put the hosts ahead before half-time, while a Raul Garcia header and Costa's second in the closing stages meant there was no way back for the Serie A outfit.
Seedorf believes the turning point came when Turan restored Atletico's lead and he lamented a lack of consistency from his players.
"You could see after the second goal that the team struggled psychologically to react, as they often do," he told Sky Sport Italia.
"The second goal turned off the light and sapped the energy from the team.
"We analysed the situation together. Obviously the Champions League was an important objective for us and economically for the club.
"We had played well in the first-leg and showed in the first half [on Tuesday] that we could play on a par with Atletico, but couldn't be consistent for the whole game."
With the side currently 10th in Serie A, Milan's chances of playing European football next season are fast diminishing.
Yet, Seedorf insists he has no regrets about replacing Massimiliano Allegri as coach in January.
He added: "I am absolutely convinced I made the right choice. I wore these colours for 10 years, the president gave me so much and the club is trying to rebuild what has been lost.
"This request pleased me and it was not ideal to take over midway through, but we are preparing for the future and trying to end the season as best we can."
There are better teams than Atletico, warns Diego Costa
By Enis Koylu
Mar 12, 2014 8:50:00 AM
The 25-year-old has told reminded his side that they are unlikely to win the Champions League this term and just wants to enjoy their run in the competition
Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa has poured cold water on his side's Champions League hopes by warning there are far stronger teams in the competition.
The Spain international helped Diego Simeone's side into the quarter-finals of the competition with two goals in the 4-1 win over AC Milan to add to his solitary strike in the 1-0 win in the first leg.
However, he believes they will find it tough to win Europe's top tournament and is merely focusing on enjoying his side's run.
"We hope to reach the final, but we know that's extremely difficult as there are stronger sides out there than us," he told reporters.
"We'll take it one game at a time and hope for the best. We need to enjoy this and not worry about who we get in the next round.
"It wasn't easy [against Milan] but we had a good match. We did ourselves proud."
Born in Brazil, Costa made his debut for his adopted nation of Spain last week and is hoping a strong end to the season for club level could seal him a World Cup place.
"In order to go to the World Cup I must play well with my team, train hard and get results. If I continue like this, then I think I have a good chance of getting there," he added.
Arsenal left with only six substitutes after Miyaichi paperwork error
By Julian Bennetts at the Allianz Arena
Mar 11, 2014 8:52:00 PM
The Japanese youngster was intended to be Arsene Wenger's seventh man on the bench against Bayern Munich and travelled to Germany before the club learned that he was ineligible
Arsenal have been left embarrassed after an astonishing oversight left them with only six substitutes for Tuesday night's Champions League game at Bayern Munich.
Japanese youngster Ryo Miyachi was supposed to be Arsene Wenger's seventh sub until the club found out on Tuesday that he was ineligible.
Miyaichi is registered on the 'B' list of players but Uefa rules state that a player on that list needs to have been at the club continuously for three years to qualify - and, due to the fact that he has spent time out on loan, the midfielder has fallen foul of those regulations.
With the likes of Kieran Gibbs and Yaya Sanogo not travelling due to injury, that left Wenger in the embarrassing position of only naming six men on the bench for the second leg of their last-16 tie.
The Gunners need to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the home leg if they are to reach the quarter-finals as they face a Bayern team who have dominated the Bundesliga this season.
The Frenchman was unhappy with the winger's conduct as his side bowed out of the Champions League
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has branded Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben a "good diver".
Bayern beat the Gunners 3-1 on aggregate to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals following a 1-1 draw on Tuesday night, with Robben at the heart of the action.
The former Chelsea man saw his first appeal for a penalty waved away after he beat Santi Cazorla in the area and then tumbled to the ground, but he was later successful when brought down by Laurent Koscileny in the dying minutes.
And Wenger has taken the opportunity to lay into the Dutchman, who also won a spot-kick in the first leg when felled by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
"Robben is very good at getting the maximum out of nothing," he told ITV Sport.
"He is a great player, but also a good diver. He dived well [in first leg] and he dived well again tonight.
"He is one of the best players in the world but he gets past the player [Cazorla], then he actually slows down, looking for the foul."
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was impressive for the Gunners in Munich, but says his side lacked the cutting edge to get three unanswered goals they needed to progress.
"Maybe we lacked a bit of quality with our final ball," he also told ITV Sport. "We got into a lot of dangerous positions but we just lacked that final cutting edge ball.
"At the top level you need to be able to do that, especially against a team like Bayern, and maybe tonight we were just lacking that, but I think the boys put in a great shift tonight and we can take away positives and be proud of our efforts."
UEFA Champions League Preview: Paris Saint-Germain v Bayer Leverkusen
10 March 2014
Bayer Leverkusen visit Paris Saint-Germain in need of a miracle in order to reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
The German side endured a disastrous first leg at the Bay Arena, with PSG cruising to an emphatic 4-0 win thanks in part to a double from Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Sami Hyypia's men now have a mountain to climb if they are to have any chance of progressing to the last eight, and go into the fixture in poor form, having won only two of nine games in all competitions since the mid-season break.
In addition, PSG have an intimidating record at the Parc des Princes, where the Ligue 1 leaders have suffered only one defeat since November 2012 - with Montpellier springing a shock with a 2-1 Coupe de France win in January.
The likes of Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani have captured almost all of the limelight for PSG this season, but it is the French side's defence that has been the backbone behind their success in the Champions League.
Laurent Blanc's men have conceded only five goals in seven continental matches so far this term, and have not shipped four goals since a 4-4 Ligue 1 draw with Lyon back in February 2012.
Leverkusen's task has been made harder by an injury to midfielder Jens Hegeler, who tore ankle ligaments in the 1-1 draw with Hannover last Saturday to join Robbie Kruse on their long-term injury list.
The visitors will also be without defender Emir Spahic, who is suspended after being sent off in the first leg.
By contrast, PSG should be able to welcome back Uruguay striker Cavani, who missed Saturday's 3-0 league success at Bastia to attend to a personal matter in his homeland.
PSG are considered by most to have one foot in the quarter-finals following their dominant first leg win in Germany.
They were eliminated at the same stage on away goals by Barcelona last season and, although Blanc acknowledges that this tie is not over, he has already decided which teams he would like to avoid in the next round.
"We negotiated the first leg. And brilliantly so," the coach told Le Monde. "Now we must finish the job.
"I would like to avoid Barcelona, Real Madrid and particularly Bayern Munich.
"For four years Bayern is always present in the last four. They lost two finals. It is a club that should be avoided, but we do not control the draw."
UEFA Champions League Preview: Barcelona v Manchester City
10 March 2014
Manchester City may never have a better chance of overturning a two-goal deficit against Barcelona than at Camp Nou on Wednesday.
After seeing Martin Demichelis sent off shortly before the hour mark, City slumped to a 2-0 defeat in the first leg of their last-16 tie with Barca at the Etihad Stadium last month.
While Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot, having been fouled by Demichelis, it was Dani Alves who struck the hammer blow in stoppage time to hand City an almighty task to progress.
Barca have reached at least the final four of the competition in their last six attempts, lifting the trophy in 2009 and 2011.
Yet the Catalan giants come into Wednesday's game off the back of a surprise La Liga defeat to struggling Real Valladolid, which put a major dent in their domestic title ambitions.
The 1-0 loss at the Estadio Municipal Jose Zorrilla leaves Barca four points behind leaders Real Madrid, and sections of the Spanish press have been quick to express their discontent.
President Josep Maria Bartomeu even felt it necessary to defend the squad via his official Twitter account, stating: "We believe in them until the very end."
The defeat was Barca's second in three La Liga games but Bartomeu said he was confident the club's fans would get behind Gerardo Martino and his charges when City visit.
"It's normal for there to be some criticism, but the board, the members and the fans need to have confidence in these players. And even more so now that we're in the final stretch of the season," he told reporters.
While Barca have been below their best since winning in Manchester, Manuel Pellegrini's men have endured mixed fortunes.
The Chilean picked up his first trophy as City boss with victory over Sunderland in the League Cup before his side crashed out of the FA Cup on Sunday at the hands of old foes Wigan Athletic.
Despite suffering another shock loss to Wigan, their conquerors in last season's FA Cup final, Pellegrini is hopeful City can avoid exiting two competitions in the space of four days.
"It's difficult - of course it's difficult," Pellegrini told City's official website.
"However, I have no doubt that we are going to go to Barcelona thinking that we can do it and thinking we can beat them in Camp Nou and we try to have our revenge there.
"It (Barcelona) is a very good team with great players (but) I won with Villarreal in Camp Nou, I draw also with Malaga.
"If we can score a goal early then Barcelona may be a little bit more nervous. We go with a lot of trust to try to do it and if we are having a good day I am absolutely sure that we can do it."
Manchester City have the 'weapons' to stun Barcelona - Cousillas
By Peter Thompson
Mar 11, 2014 9:23:00 PM
Manuel Pellegrini's assistant wants his side to be "the main characters" in the second leg of their Champions League tie, as they attempt to overturn a 2-0 deficit at Camp Nou
Manchester City assistant manager Ruben Cousillas has warned Barcelona that his side "have the weapons" to produce a Champions League fightback on Wednesday.
Cousillas attended Tuesday's press conference on the eve of the two sides' last-16 second-leg clash at Camp Nou, with boss Manuel Pellegrini not obliged to carry out media duties due to his two-match suspension from European competition.
The Chilean will watch from the stands on Wednesday as part of his punishment for criticising Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson after City's 2-0 first-leg defeat, with the visitors having it all to do after being outclassed by the Catalan giants in February.
The English team head into the game on the back of a shock 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final defeat against Championship side Wigan on Sunday but Barca have problems of their own, as they were beaten 1-0 at struggling Real Valladolid on Saturday and are now third in La Liga - four points behind leaders Real Madrid.
Cousillas knows that City are faced with a tall order to turn the tie around but has no doubt that they are capable of progressing to the quarter-finals, telling reporters: "We have to try and turn this game around and we have the weapons to do that. That is what we will try to do, fight until the end.
"We will try to be the main characters and take our own risks - of course, with the precautions of facing a great team. In order to beat Barcelona, we will have to play a very complete game."
The City No.2 also backed his side to put their FA Cup disappointment behind them as they attempt to qualify for the last eight of Europe's premier club competition for the first time and win another trophy following their Capital One Cup success at Wembley earlier in March.
"We had a big sense of frustration because we wanted to be back at Wembley and win another cup but Wigan surprised us," he said.
"We have turned the page and we have experienced and quality players, which means we are more united than ever and we have forgotten everything in preparation for [Wednesday]."
Martin Demichelis will play no part as a result of his red card against Barca in the first leg, while Cousillas revealed that centre-back Matija Nastasic (knee) and striker Stevan Jovetic (hamstring) have not travelled with the squad.
'I'm not claiming we can win 5-0' - Hyypia realistic over PSG tie
By Miles Chambers
Mar 11, 2014 7:45:00 PM
The coach is demanding a better performance than the 4-0 defeat on home turf that they suffered at the hands of Laurent Blanc's men last month
Bayer Leverkusen boss Sami Hyypia has admitted he doubts his team is capable of beating Paris Saint-Germain by five goals on Wednesday.
The Bundesliga giants trail 4-0 heading into the Champions League last-16 second leg at Parc des Princes having been totally swept away by Laurent Blanc's side in the opening tie.
The former Liverpool defender accepted that PSG essentially have one foot in the last eight of the European competition but has demanded a far better performance from his players than the one which saw them crumble last month.
"I've never known such comebacks [as the one required to qualify], neither as a coach nor as a player," Hyypia told reporters. "I will not say we're going to win 4-0 or 5-0, but let's focus on delivering a good performance, both offensively and defensively.
"We will play to win, and aim to play without fear and impose our game. Of course it'll be very hard to win, but our goal is at least to deliver a good performance.
"We won't have any motivation problems: this is a Champions League game and you don't need to motivate your players.
"We have played three very high-profile matches this season in the competition, two against Manchester United and the home leg versus Paris. Each time, we played with a bit of fear, so we need to approach this match better."
Bayer Leverkusen head into the game having not won any of their last six matches in all competitions, which includes four defeats.
Following his team’s 4-0 win in the first leg of the tie, the Frenchman believes that their Bundesliga opposition will be looking for a win to restore pride
Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc has warned of a backlash from Bayer Leverkusen following the French side’s 4-0 win in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie.
PSG ran out convincing winners thanks to goals from Blaise Matuidi, Yohan Cabaye and a double from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, however the 48-year-old has insisted that the tie is not over and the French outfit should still show respect to their Bundesliga opposition.
"All matches are there to win and it is the same with this match against Leverkusen," the head coach told reporters. "We do not have to worry too much on Wednesday except if the opposition want revenge.
"We will be wary and we'll respect this team. We must repeat the performance that we achieved in the first leg 4-0. Wednesday is a match we need to win.
"We do not play a Champions League match preparing too hastily. We have prepared for this game since Monday. We must take this game seriously."
PSG striker and Ligue 1 top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic is fit to play in Wednesday’s match, however Blanc has revealed that a string of first team players will not be risked.
"Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], who had back problems, is much better. But Marco [Verratti], Gregory [van der Wiel] and Blaise [Matuidi] will not play Wednesday, but the team will be a competitive line-up on Wednesday.
"There will certainly be changes from the team that won in Bastia [3-0]."
Despite their fine form and status as Ligue 1 leaders, the Frenchman has insisted that PSG still have a long way to go to be crowned Europe’s best.
"I leave it to the spectators [to decide whether we can win the Champions League]. We will try to go as far as possible.
"There are clubs that have more experience than Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. We have to catch up.
"It will not be easy, we know, but we are an ambitious club."
Messi-Neymar won't work out every time, says Martino
By Stefan Coerts
Mar 11, 2014 1:23:00 PM
The coach has stressed that there's no guarantee the attackers will form a dangerous duo and has warned his men not to underestimate Man City
Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino has admitted that it is not necessarily a given that the partnership between Lionel Messi and Neymar works out just because they are two great individuals.
The Argentina international and his Brazilian counterpart impressed earlier this campaign, but they have been unable to make much of an impact together recently - partially due to a string of fitness problems.
"Messi and Neymar haven’t played much together this season because of injuries. The times they have played together, they have linked up well, but recently they haven’t had much connection on the pitch," Martino said at a press conference.
"You can’t guarantee they will always be synchronised just because it’s the best player in the world and the next best player in the world."
The Barca coach then turned to the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie against Manchester City and warned his men not to take things lightly after their 2-0 away win in the first leg.
"Tomorrow I think Manchester City will make changes to the team. Sergio Aguero is very dangerous but they have many other players who are just as worrying.
"We have to think that 10 or 12 days ago, we played a very good match against Manchester City. I don’t see why we can’t do the same tomorrow and I am sure we will play well.
"We have to separate the league from the Champions League and we are at an advantage for tomorrow."
Barca come into the clash at Camp Nou on the back of a 1-0 defeat at Valladolid on Saturday.
