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'Arsenal
will pay for not scoring more against us'
Goalie Casillas warns that
Real Madrid can still snatch tie
REAL Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas reckons Arsenal will be
made to pay for not scoring more goals in the first leg of their
Champions League showdown.
Arsenal take a fragile 1-0 advantage into their mouth-watering
fixture with Real at Highbury on Wednesday night after last
week’s victory in Spain.
But Casillas, who produced a series of fine saves to keep the
score down in the Bernabeu Stadium, said the Spanish giants
are ready to overturn the deficit and block the Gunners’
route to the quarter-finals.
He told the New Journal: “The truth is they could have
scored many more than just the one goal. We believe now that
we can still qualify in London. I hope that when we go there
we can score as well.”
The tie has become a make-or-break clash for both teams as neither
side look likely to claim any domestic silverware this season.
Both teams followed up the first leg of their duel with defeats
at the weekend, Arsenal lost at Blackburn while Real suffered
at the hands of Real Mallorca.
Arsenal travel to Fulham this weekend but will already be thinking
about the contest with the ‘Galacticos’ and dreaming
of a place in the last eight of a competition they have never
come close to winning.
Casillas said that they can expect a stronger performance.
He said: “We just haven’t been at our best in the
Champions League this season but we can do better. We all play
under huge pressure and expectation at Real Madrid but the tie
is not over.”
The goalkeeper, however, is refusing to take Arsenal’s
woeful Premiership form as a guide.
Casillas added: “Arsenal have proven that they are a great
team. People say their defence is weak but they coped very well
against us and they could have scored at least one more goal.”
Arsenal skipper Thierry Henry has already warned his team not
to be complacent about their win in Madrid, but when asked whether
he was disappointed that the Gunners had not scored more away
goals, the striker said: “It was a great night but we cannot
be too greedy.” |
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