Technical secretary Txiki Begiristain is confident Barcelona have
enough to get past Arsenal and into the Champions League
semi-finals.
The defending European champions headed to England on Tuesday
morning to take on Arsene Wenger's Gunners in the first leg of
their last-eight clash on Wednesday and Begiristain fancies their
chances.
"The feelings are good," he told the club's website.
"Barca, for budget and organisation, must always be in the
quarter-finals of the Champions League. And we are good, with the
ability and optimism to get through this round.
"We will see who has possession of the ball, who has control
and which of the two is stronger."
Pep Guardiola's side have scored 71 goals in La Liga this
season - 10 less than arch rivals Real Madrid - with Lionel Messi
earning the bulk of the plaudits for his 34-goal haul in all
competitions.
Their attacking prowess has been well documented but
Begiristain believes their solidity at the back - they boast the
best defensive record in the Spanish top flight with only 18 goals
conceded in 29 games - is equally vital.
"Everyone talks about the good football we play, but also it
should be noted that the team defends well," he said.
"To be champions of Europe, you must be strong at the back.
"The balance of the team is almost perfect."
Barca head to the Emirates Stadium on the back of a 1-0
victory at fourth-placed Real Mallorca in the Primera Division on
Saturday night.
Begiristain wants to see more of what he saw at the Ono
Estadi and in the second leg of their Champions League last-16
clash - a 4-0 win over Stuttgart - when Guardiola sends his team
out in north London.
"In the return leg against Stuttgart, the team took complete
control of the situation," he said.
"We were shooting against Mallorca and they managed very
little, apart from the two shots hitting the post. Otherwise, we
generated more chances."
