Riquelme looks beyond Arsenal

Qualities
It does not take a great leap of memory or imagination to suggest that without such qualities, Liverpool FC would never have won that remarkable UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul almost a year ago. Perhaps they need to apply again to Juan Román Riquelme and Villarreal CF if they are to overcome Arsenal FC and secure a date with FC Barcelona or AC Milan in this season's showpiece on 17 May.

Elevated stage
Having reached this elevated stage by virtue of away-goals victories over Rangers FC and FC Internazionale Milano, Villarreal go into Tuesday's second leg trailing 1-0 after failing to register at Highbury. It is ominous for the hosts that Riquelme and company have failed to score as many goals as their play in the competition has merited - eight in eleven matches - and that Arsenal have shown an ability to defend cleverly and in numbers.

Danger
So the Argentinian international accepts that the challenge facing Villarreal will demand an even better performance than they have given all season. "The further you go in a competition, the harder it gets to impose your style and win games," explained the man whom Arsène Wenger has pinpointed as the main danger to Arsenal's hopes of a first UEFA Champions League final. "Personally, I don't feel any stress because we are lucky to be playing a massively important game like this and bringing more worldwide attention to the town of Villarreal."

Henry threat
The 27-year-old continued: "Arsenal are hard to play against because they play with nine men behind the ball and Thierry Henry waits for the chance to launch a quick counterattack. I think they will largely play the same way - defending in numbers and breaking at speed. It's up to us to rise to the challenge of asserting our style and create space in the final third of the pitch." The key, according to Riquelme, is that neither he nor his team-mates have lost faith in Villarreal's ability to confound the odds.

Paris date
"I'm fully confident, not only in our team but also in our style of play, and if we have a good game then I believe we will reach the final," Riquelme said. "People didn't expect us to get this far but I won't settle for what we have got and neither will the team. Even reaching a semi-final will be forgotten in a few years unless we go to the final and win it. I couldn't care less if we meet Barça or Milan - I just want to ensure Villarreal are in the final in Paris. And I believe we will be."