<p>Now the therapeutic effect of success over continental rivals is at high risk of coming to an end. Fatalism is pointless, however, and the encounter with the holders Barcelona should inspire Arsenal, who would love to emulate these opponents as well as beat them.<br /><br />Wenger and his opposite number Pep Guardiola have a shared vision, even if the Catalan has the greater means. The Barcelona coach, indeed, has that edge over just about everyone else since there are few players to compare with Lionel Messi. <br /><br />Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas remains a major doubt for because of a knee injury, manager Arsene Wenger said.<br /><br />Arsenal, all the same, possess a collective menace and have outscored every other club in the Premier League in this campaign. Their meeting with Barcelona is the most enticing of the quarterfinals.<br /><br />Barcelona's rebuilding has been almost as thorough and the obvious connection with that evening in Paris is Thierry Henry At 32, he may not be so great a factor in the quarterfinals.<br /><br />It can be argued that well-drilled resilience has become critical. The contrast between the quarterfinalists is most marked in the defensive records. Barcelona have conceded 16 goals in La Liga to date, while Arsenal have shipped 33 in the Premier League.<br /><br />All the same, there is a persistence to Arsenal that merits praise. Another side might have become prey to introspection and depression following the 3-0 loss at home to Chelsea in November, but the players regrouped and demonstrated consistency in the routine fixtures which, after all, offer the same three-point reward.<br /><br />There still does not appear to be any compelling reason to suppose that Arsenal will get the better of Barcelona. Whichever of them prevails faces a gruelling examination in the semifinals by, most probably, Internazionale, assuming that José Mourinho's side can deal with CSKA Moscow.<br /><br />Inter look for confidence<br />Inter Milan face the rare prospect of using Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal first leg against CSKA Moscow to boost their flagging domestic confidence rather than the other way round. <br /><br />The Italian champions were imperious in eliminating Chelsea in the last 16 with a 1-0 win in London but their recent Serie A form has been poor by comparison. <br /><br />Their lead at the top has been cut from nine points in mid-February to just a point following Saturday's 2-1 defeat at title rivals AS Roma, where Inter hit the woodwork three times but looked much more nervous than usual. <br /><br />CSKA have no worries about tiredness in their first European Cup quarterfinal in 17 years with the Russian league in its early stages. <br /></p>
<p>Now the therapeutic effect of success over continental rivals is at high risk of coming to an end. Fatalism is pointless, however, and the encounter with the holders Barcelona should inspire Arsenal, who would love to emulate these opponents as well as beat them.<br /><br />Wenger and his opposite number Pep Guardiola have a shared vision, even if the Catalan has the greater means. The Barcelona coach, indeed, has that edge over just about everyone else since there are few players to compare with Lionel Messi. <br /><br />Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas remains a major doubt for because of a knee injury, manager Arsene Wenger said.<br /><br />Arsenal, all the same, possess a collective menace and have outscored every other club in the Premier League in this campaign. Their meeting with Barcelona is the most enticing of the quarterfinals.<br /><br />Barcelona's rebuilding has been almost as thorough and the obvious connection with that evening in Paris is Thierry Henry At 32, he may not be so great a factor in the quarterfinals.<br /><br />It can be argued that well-drilled resilience has become critical. The contrast between the quarterfinalists is most marked in the defensive records. Barcelona have conceded 16 goals in La Liga to date, while Arsenal have shipped 33 in the Premier League.<br /><br />All the same, there is a persistence to Arsenal that merits praise. Another side might have become prey to introspection and depression following the 3-0 loss at home to Chelsea in November, but the players regrouped and demonstrated consistency in the routine fixtures which, after all, offer the same three-point reward.<br /><br />There still does not appear to be any compelling reason to suppose that Arsenal will get the better of Barcelona. Whichever of them prevails faces a gruelling examination in the semifinals by, most probably, Internazionale, assuming that José Mourinho's side can deal with CSKA Moscow.<br /><br />Inter look for confidence<br />Inter Milan face the rare prospect of using Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal first leg against CSKA Moscow to boost their flagging domestic confidence rather than the other way round. <br /><br />The Italian champions were imperious in eliminating Chelsea in the last 16 with a 1-0 win in London but their recent Serie A form has been poor by comparison. <br /><br />Their lead at the top has been cut from nine points in mid-February to just a point following Saturday's 2-1 defeat at title rivals AS Roma, where Inter hit the woodwork three times but looked much more nervous than usual. <br /><br />CSKA have no worries about tiredness in their first European Cup quarterfinal in 17 years with the Russian league in its early stages. <br /></p>
