Arsenal's narrow 1-0 victory over Sporting in Lisbon has given them the upper hand in their Champions League quarter-final tie, but there is still work to be done when the two teams meet again at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening. Portuguese coach Pepa, who has extensive experience at the top level in his home country and in Brazil, provides a tactical analysis of the first leg and explains why Rui Borges' Sporting side could still spring a surprise in the second leg. Pepa describes the first match as a highly competitive and intense encounter between two excellent teams, with few clear-cut scoring opportunities, but numerous intriguing tactical and technical aspects. He praises Arsenal's ability to maintain a compact 4-4-2 shape without the ball, effectively closing down central spaces and adopting a man-oriented pressing approach, which allowed them to recover the ball high up the pitch.
In possession, Arsenal struggled to create clear danger despite having slightly more of the ball. Key aspects of their play included the fluid role of Riccardo Calafiori, who started as a left-back but often moved into central areas and even into finishing zones, and the quality of their midfield trio - Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, and Martin Odegaard - who consistently managed to escape pressure and connect play.
Pepa also highlights the importance of set-pieces, noting that Arsenal are the best team in Europe in attacking corners, and that they had four corners in the first leg, hitting the crossbar once. Regarding Sporting, Pepa believes that they delivered a very positive performance considering the quality of their opponent. He credits the team's experiences in the Champions League this season, where they have faced top-tier opponents like Juventus, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain, for allowing them to approach such matches with greater confidence and maturity.
From a defensive standpoint, Sporting presented a dynamic structure, alternating between a 4-4-2 mid-block and a 5-4-1 lower block, which allowed them to neutralize Arsenal's intentions, except for the goal conceded. Pepa praises the performances of Ousmane Diomande and Maxi Araujo in Sporting's defensive sector but notes that Maxi needs to be more cautious with the number of fouls he commits, particularly in sensitive areas. In possession, Sporting faced difficulties in their build-up, largely due to Arsenal's intense pressure. However, they managed to create problems for Arsenal mainly through the wide areas, with Maxi on the left and Geny Catamo on the right.
Looking ahead to the second leg, Pepa believes that Sporting will have to remain true to themselves, imposing their strengths and being even more focused, consistent, and effective than in the first match. He acknowledges that the difficulties will be greater, especially given that Sporting will be playing away from home with a negative first result. However, Pepa has faith in Sporting's ability to surpass themselves, as they have done before, and believes that the recovery of injured players, such as Morten Hjulmand, and the importance of set-pieces could be decisive factors in the match.