Suarez Mascherano Messi Pique Barcelona
Barcelona start this Champions League match against Arsenal as the heavy favouritesReuters

A right-old pasting from Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar or a brilliant rearguard action combined with lethal counter-attacking – this first leg UEFA Champions League last 16 tie between Arsenal and Barcelona will probably go one of those two ways. Or, it might go nothing like the ones predicted.

Football is a crazy game, and making predictions can make you look foolish at times. However, if there is one bankable prediction at the moment, it is that "MSN" trio will score, if not at the Emirates, then definitely in the second leg at the Camp Nou.

[Watch the highlights of the match HERE]

Arsenal have already pulled out an impressive victory over a Champions League favourite this season, when they beat Bayern Munich 2-0 at the Emirates in the group stages. If they can pull off a similar performance and result, Arsene Wenger's men will, at least, have a chance of knocking out the champions going into the second leg.

Keeping the score in the first leg as much in Arsenal's favour as possible, something the English Premier League side have struggled to do in recent seasons in the Champions League, will be the key.

"No team is perfect, but Barcelona are not far from it," Wenger was quoted as saying by UEFA's official website. "We need to take our chances. We will have less of the ball, but we have to make the most of it.

"They have top strikers. They have a team that can score at any moment. Even when they are being dominated they are still very dangerous. They did that in the final last year against Juventus when it was 1-1. They were suffering but they took their chances when they arrived."

What Wenger wants to avoid at all costs is giving the tie away in the first leg, by conceding soft goals, which comes from a lack of concentration. Staying tuned through the entire length of the match is essential, and, maybe, then, Arsenal will be able to pull off a similar victory to the one they managed against Barca in 2011.

"I think we will score so I am not too concerned," Wenger added to The Guardian. "It's true that recently our goals have dried up a bit and we have to find a way to get that going again. But I am more concerned about stopping them from scoring because at home in the Champions League nil-nil is not a bad score.

"We have always made it difficult for ourselves in previous years by conceding goals at home and the rules of the modern European Cup encourage teams to defend at home and attack away because of the importance of the away goal.

"Many times I have said that should be suppressed because if you concede a goal at home in the Champions League it's a knife in your heart every time. Against big teams it becomes very difficult."

They don't make them much bigger than Barcelona at present, and if Messi, Suarez and Neymar get in the mood, it could prove to be along evening for the Emirates faithful.

Expected lineups: Arsenal: Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Ramsey; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Sanchez; Giroud.

Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Alves, Mascherano, Pique, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Neymar.

Where to Watch Live

Arsenal vs Barcelona -- Champions League last 16 first leg -- is scheduled for an 8.45 pm CET (7.45 pm GMT, 2.45 pm ET, 1.15 am IST) start. Ten Action and Ten HD. will broadcast the Champions League match live in India on TV. Viewers in India and the subcontinent can also watch Arsenal vs Barcelona live online by live streaming on Tensports Live.

BT Sport Europe is the channel to watch to catch the match live in the UK, with the online live streaming option on Watch BT Sport.

Antena 3 and TV 3 will broadcast the Champions League match live in Spain.

Fox Sports 1 will show the UCL game live in the US, while the Champions League action can also be live streamed online on FoxSoccer2Go.

Viewers in China can watch the UEFA Champions League action live on PPTV Sports and QQ Sports

Audience in Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, France, Spain, Canada, the Middle East and North Africa can watch the UCL game live on TV on Bein Sports, with the live stream option on Bein Sports Connect.