Arsenal crashed out of the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 once again with Barcelona winning the second tie 3-1 thanks to goals from Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi. The Catalans already held a 2-0 advantage heading into this game but struggled to really go into top gear against a resilient Arsenal side.
Arsenal began the first half on the front-foot creating half a dozen chances through Mesut Ozil and youngster Alex Iwobi but Barcelona's insistence on letting Arsenal have the ball up top is what lead the Gunners to succumb into the pressure and letting Neymar score.
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Koscielny – possibly overwhelmed with the attacking prowess his team were partaking in – tried to run with the ball only to be out-muscled by Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi. Suarez collected the ball and passed it on to a rushing Neymar who controlled the ball well and slotted past Ospina to give the Catalans the lead.
Chances from Ozil, Elneny, Welbeck and Sanchez all went begging as Arsenal didn't seem to have the composure in the final third to get the ball into the back of the net. The teams went into half time with Barcelona leading 1-0.
Come the start of the second half, Arsenal began on the front foot once again with Sanchez and Iwobi creating multiple chances against a poor Barcelona defence. While Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic looked to hold the ball up higher, Arsenal constantly found space between the lines thanks to an incredible game by Ozil and Iwobi.
A good steal by Gabriel gave Bellerin the chance to release a sprinting Sanchez whose cutback to Elneny in the centre was simply perfect. The Egyptian international's effort from outside the box with the outside of the boot gave Arsenal an outside chance to make a difference. The goal reinvigorated the Gunners who then went on to create multiple chances through their front men.
A lapse of concentration from Arsenal's defence saw Neymar recieve the ball, run across the box and find Dani Alves whose cross for Suarez was perfect for the Uruguyan to drop his shoulder and bicycle the ball into the back of the net. Barcelona retook the lead and cemented their chances of progression.
Later on in the game, Messi collected the ball in the penalty box and dinked it over Ospina to make it 3-1 giving them the clearest chance of getting a step closer in defending the Champions League title.
