PREVIEW: Barcelona aim to gun down Arsenal in meeting of minds

Barcelona are determined to come away from Arsenal with a victory Wednesday to underline their claims to the Champions League title this season.

But the Premier League side are confident of upsetting the Spanish league leaders and avenging last season's 6-3 aggregate defeat in the quarter-finals.

The highly anticipated last-16 tie between two teams with similar playing philosophies is one of the top encounters of the round's four initial first-leg matches being played on Tuesday and Wednesday.

While Arsenal take on Barcelona at the Emirates Stadium Wednesday, north London neighbours Tottenham are at AC Milan on Tuesday in another intriguing encounter.

Also Tuesday, Valencia meet Bundesliga side Schalke 04, while on Wednesday Roma entertain the Ukrainians Shakthar Donetsk.

   Last season Barcelona threw away a 2-0 lead at the Emirates Stadium to go home with a 2-2 draw, but then thrashed Arsenal 4-1 at home in the second leg, with Lionel Messi scoring all four goals.

   "We must really try to win both matches this time," said Barca defender Eric Abidal. "I really believe that we have the capacity to do so."

   Abidal was rested by coach Pep Guardiola for Saturday's disappointing 1-1 draw away to Sporting Gijon, a result which ended Barca's record-breaking run of 16 league matches.

   The French veteran will be back on Wednesday at the centre of defence alongside Gerard Pique, covering up for the absence of captain Carles Puyol, who is Barca's only injury victim.

Barcelona are flying high in La Liga and looked invincible when they routed Real Madrid 5-0 in El Clasico earlier this season.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger accepts that Barcelona are better than ever but insists that the same also applies to his own squad.

"We are different because we are in better form going into this game than we were last year and in a better shape physically," he said.

And midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who was heavily courted by Barca in the summer, said: "We don't have to worry too much about them. We have to play with no fear. Last season in the first half (of the first leg) we respected them too much. We just have to play our game."

   Midfielder Samir Nasri is back in training after suffering a hamstring injury in the FA Cup win over Huddersfield Town, but is a major doubt, while midfielder Tomas Rosicky is struggling with a groin problem.

   Winger Gareth Bale is meanwhile a major doubt for Tottenham with a back injury, but forward Rafael van der Vaart and striker Peter Crouch should both be available against AC Milan.

"Gareth is not too far away. He's not going to be fit, I don't think, for Tuesday, but he's not too bad," said Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp.

AC Milan will be without Andrea Pirlo for both legs against Spurs after the playmaker damaged knee ligaments in training.

Shakhtar Donetsk, who have advanced from the group stage for the first time in six attempts, come out of the long domestic winter break for the visit to Rome's Olympic Stadium.

But the Ukrainian league leaders will have to make do without centre-back Olexandr Kucher who has a knee injury.

Schalke striker Raul Gonzalez returns to Spain to play a Valencia side he struck 12 league goals against during his time at Real Madrid.

   Valencia are approaching the game in good heart as a result of Saturday's 2-1 win away to Atletico Madrid, which takes them up to third in La Liga.