Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is wary of the quality of Sporting Lisbon, the team he will face in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals at the Jose Alvalade Stadium.
According to Arteta, Rui Borges' team possesses a wide variety of attacks that pose a significant threat to their opponents. This, Arteta continued, is why Sporting is in its current position, having reached the quarterfinals and is also in a tight race for the league title.
"It's huge, and that's why they're in the position they're in. They have a lot of quality, a lot of variety in attack, and a lot of players who can occupy different spaces in the offensive phase," Arteta said, as quoted on Arsenal's official website.
In the round of 16, Sporting eliminated Bodo/Glimt, the team that had previously defeated Inter Milan in the play-off round. They won the second leg 5-0 at home after losing the first leg 0-3.
"They can change the course of a game because of their individual quality, and there are even other players who haven't been mentioned who also have that ability," Arteta said of Sporting's quality.
"Usually, the phase of the game when these players start to occupy dangerous positions starts earlier. So the problem often arises earlier, and if it's not anticipated properly, it's difficult to address. That's what we're trying to do," he added.
