London: Arsenal secured a place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday by beating Partizan Belgrade 3-1, overcoming a nervy stretch in the second half with two late goals.
Arsenal finished second in Group H behind Shakhtar Donetsk, which beat FC Braga 2-0 to end with 15 points. It means Arsenal must now face a top side, like Barcelona or Real Madrid, in the first knockout round.
The Gunners could also face German teams FC Schalke or Bayern Munich.
"We have a 50 percent chance to travel to Spain and we have a 50 percent chance to travel to Germany," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "If you ask me what I prefer, I don't know."
But Wenger knows first-hand how dangerous Barcelona can be, as Arsenal was knocked out of the Champions League by the Catalan club last year.
"Barcelona are super favorites in the competition," Wenger said. "But we take what we get. We'll see."
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie didn't hesitate when asked what he wanted.
"As a football fan, Barcelona or (Real) Madrid, but we'll see what the draw will be," he said.
Arsenal took the lead in the 30th minute after Van Persie won a controversial penalty. TV replays appeared to show Partizan center back Marko Jovanovic making little contact with the forward.
While Van Persie was about to place the ball on the spot, a Partizan player accused the striker of diving with a gesture. Van Persie converted with a strong shot that went to the goalkeeper's left.
Up until that point, Partizan's five-man midfield and back four defended well.
Partizan forward Cordova Cleo equalized in the 52nd minute from the edge of the area after being set up by Almami Moreira. Cleo's shot deflected off Arsenal defender Sebastien Squillaci and over goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
Partizan, energized by the equalizer, threatened Arsenal's goal on several occasions after that.
But Theo Walcott restored Arsenal's lead in the 73rd after Bacary Sagna whipped a dangerous cross in from the right. A Partizan defender's diving header sent the ball straight to Walcott, who controlled the ball on his chest before slamming a shot past goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic.
Samir Nasri sealed the win four minutes later after an intricate exchange between Nicklas Bendtner and Alex Song, the Frenchman then coolly finishing to the goalkeeper's right.
Sagna was sent off in the 85th for a professional foul, with Wenger saying the red card "was very harsh."
Arsenal left it until the final game, and indeed the final stretch of the second half, to secure qualification. The English club breezed through its first three group matches, overwhelming Braga, Partizan and Shakhtar Donetsk, leaving many to assume Arsenal would easily finish top.
But Arsenal lost its subsequent two matches away to Shakhtar and Braga, meaning the Gunners had to win to guarantee going through.
"I was always confident that we would qualify, but you never know," Wenger said. "It was a bit of a low-key game, because we didn't find our pace in the game. But you have to give them credit. They defended very well."
Partizan finished its campaign with six losses.
"We had some good moments, we had some bad moments," Partizan coach Aleksandar Stanojevic said. "But we made too many mistakes. That's why we finish with zero points."
Arsenal left back Kieran Gibbs, meanwhile, left the game early with a twisted right ankle. Wenger said Gibbs was on crutches and he would have a scan Thursday.
Comments
0 comment