UEFA Champions League: Arsene Wenger confident of beating Monaco in France

Babalola Tomiwa

Ahead of tonight’s champions league game against Monaco, Arsene Wenger has admitted that the his former club have an edge over them due to their 3-1 victory in the first leg at the Emirate but believes that his side have the expertise to turn the table around in their favour.

Arsenal and Manchester City are the remaining English side in the champions’ league, but both of them trail their opponents 1-3 and 1-2 respectively, and they will be hoping to pull an extra-ordininary performance in the second leg.

Wenger believes his in-form side will have to extra-superb tonight to progress to the next stage of the tournament while the host, Coach Leonardo Jardim said he will go all out against Arsenal and give their fans a good show.

Arsène Wenger says: Monaco are in a very strong position but we have experience and the desire and belief that we can do it. So we are here to do it. We will have to play on full power, focusing on our offensive and defensive games. The desire is there.

I am confident. The odds are stacked against us, but we will give absolutely everything to turn the tie around. We will show a different face. In the first leg we failed, which was surprising given our form. We have a second chance and we will exploit it.

It is a special moment for me but experience allows me to manage the pressure. We must have a great game, do our best and give our all. If we did not believe in ourselves we would not have turned up.

Leonardo Jardim: We approach this game in the same manner as ever. We are not thinking about the result; we just want to play and produce some good football. Arsenal did not take us lightly in the first leg, it's just that we had the perfect game. We are at half-time in the tie. We are two goals up but this game will be the most difficult of our season so far.

Possible lineups

Monaco: Subašić; Touré, Carvalho, Abdennour, Kurzawa; Moutinho, Fabinho, Toulalan, Kondogbia; Dirar, Berbatov.

•Out: Bakayoko (hamstring), Lacina Traoré (broken leg), Raggi (knee)
• Doubtful: Ferreira-Carrasco (ankle), Kondogbia (thigh), Toulalan (thigh)

Arsenal: Ospina; Bellerín, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Cazorla, Coquelin; Walcott, Özil, Sánchez; Giroud.
•Out: Arteta (ankle), Debuchy (shoulder), Diaby (calf), Oxlade-Chamberlain (hamstring), Rosický (illness)

• Doubtful: Gabriel (hamstring), Wilshere (ankle)