Reyes gunning for Europe

By Tom Rollett

José Antonio Reyes thinks that Arsenal FC will prove too strong for FC Bayern München in the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League. Arsenal travel to Munich for the first leg on Tuesday night, with the flying winger confident the Gunners can improve on their disappointing record of never having gone beyond the quarter-finals.

'A better side'
"I know that Arsenal are a better side than Bayern and I think we'll prove that over the two legs," Reyes told uefa.com. "The Arsenal fans have high expectations and so do we as a team. It's important to everyone at Highbury that we do well in Europe. We are a great team with great ambition, and we have to handle the pressure that comes with that situation.

On top
"I am no less confident that Arsenal can win the Champions League than I was when we were top of the Premiership and on that 49-game unbeaten run," he added. "We are just as good now as we were then. For me it would be a dream to lift the European Cup this season. The club trusts us as a team to deliver that success and I believe we can do it."

Team mentality
Bayern, in contrast, have long-standing European pedigree, having lifted the European Champion Clubs' Cup four times. And while the 21-year-old is confident of Arsenal's chances, he is also full of praise for the German outfit, highlighting their team ethic as their main asset.

Collective strength
Reyes said: "Bayern are a very strong side all over the pitch, but I would definitely say that their strength lies in teamwork rather than with their individuals. Michael Ballack is the one who dictates their game and creates opportunities and Roy Makaay is the other big star for Bayern. But I also like the job that players like Lucio, Jens Jeremies and Roque Santa Cruz do for the team."

Midfield control
Vital to the outcome is likely to be the battle for control of midfield, a problematic area for the Gunners recently with Brazilian pair Gilberto and Edu out injured. But, believes Reyes, that is no longer the case. "Now that Edu is back fit we are looking really strong in midfield," he said.

'Good enough'
"A lot of pressure fell on the shoulders of [Cesc] Fabregas and [Matthieu] Flamini but they did fantastically well. They have proved that they are good enough to play for Arsenal in any big game. I think what Fabregas has done this season at the age of 17 is nothing short of incredible. He has dealt with the pressure and produced excellent performances in all competitions.

No reinforcements
"I wasn't concerned at all that we didn't bring in new players in January because I don't believe that our success is dependent on strengthening the squad with extra players. Arsène Wenger and the club are doing a great job. Even though we don't spend as much as some teams, we are still every bit as good as Chelsea [FC], Real Madrid [CF], Juventus [FC] or any of the others."

Important clash
Meanwhile, the young Spaniard admits that he is looking beyond this tie to May's climax in Istanbul - and he has already identified his dream opponents. "I think we may end up facing Madrid in the final," he said. "I would very much like to beat them, and then everybody will be saying that Arsenal are better than Madrid. That would be nice."