Arsenal: Too Good For Monaco Test

25.02.2015 LISTEN

Arsene Wenger return to France on Wednesday to face his former club AS Monaco in the first leg of the 1/16th stage of the 2014/2015 UEFA Champions League in a match which the odds favour the gunners to pick a win over their French counterpart.

AS Monaco will be missing the services of two key defenders (Ricardo Carvalho and Andrea Raggi) as both players are nursing injuries. Their absence will give in-form Olivier Giroud a free room to operate.

In midfield, Monaco will be without Jeremy Toulalan who has been suspended for this match. This will also allow the buzzing midfield duo, Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil to draw rings in the middle to supply Olivier Giroud the necessary arsenals to fire in the goals.

The two sides have never met in any European competition before, but it must be noted that French sides have the edge over English sides in the knock-out stages.

Former Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur's striker Dimitar Berbatov is likely to lead the attack for Monaco but the Bulgarian is not as sharp as he was some few years back as he has scored just six goals in eighteen league appearances.

The gunners look very strong on paper going into this game due to Monaco's poor striking record since the exit of Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez.

In the other match of the night, last year's runner up, Atletico Madrid will play as guest to Bayern Leverkusen.