Juventus ready for Arsenal assault

Arsenal FC's run of games without conceding a goal in the UEFA Champions League now stands at seven - equalling AC Milan's record-setting feat last season - but the most pertinent statistic to come out of last week's game at Highbury was the two goals the home team struck past Juventus to leave them with an outstanding chance of reaching the semi-finals of the competition for the first time.

Home success
• Last season three of the teams playing the first leg at home progressed into the last four and the goals scored in each half by Cesc Fabregas and former Juventus striker Thierry Henry, his fifth in this season's competition, have set up the north London side to improve on their previous two appearances at the quarter-final stage when they lost to Valencia CF (2000/01) and Chelsea FC (2003/04).

• If he plays in Turin, Henry will make his 100th appearance in UEFA club competition. He needs one more goal for his half-century in European action.

Good fortune
• The Serie A leaders will be without former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira, who earned a one-match ban after his booking at Highbury. Mauro Camoranesi and Jonathan Zebina, who were both sent off last week, will also be missing.

• Juve were staring at defeat with two minutes remaining of the first knockout round tie with Werder Bremen at the Stadio Delle Alpi when visiting goalkeeper Tim Wiese inexplicably spilled the ball under no pressure and handed an aggregate winner on away goals for Emerson. David Trezeguet's earlier strike was his sixth goal in this year's competition.

• In the history of the UEFA Champions League since 1992/93, only three teams have come back from a two-goal first-leg deficit to progress. FC Barcelona against Chelsea FC in 1999/00, RC Deportivo La Coruña against AC Milan in 2003/04 and AS Monaco FC against Real Madrid CF that same season. Overall, 12 teams have recovered from losing the first leg to progress.

Bad memories
• Juventus, winners of the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1984/85 and 1995/96, are at this stage for the third time in four seasons and are seeking to avoid a second successive exit at the hands of English opposition. Twelve months ago they faced Liverpool FC, losing 2-1 at Anfield before being held to a goalless draw in Turin.

• In their previous meeting with a Premiership side, in the 2002/03 second group stage, Juventus went down 2-1 at Manchester United FC and 3-0 at home.

• In their last two home games with English opponents they have failed to score a goal.

• Yet their last nine games in Turin in the competition overall have resulted in eight wins and a draw, conceding just two goals in that run.

Improvement needed
• In their tenth UEFA Champions League campaign, Fabio Capello's team, who at least can welcome back Pavel Nedvěd after suspension, must improve on the result when they last faced Arsenal in Turin.

• They met the London club in the 2001/02 second group stage and, after losing 3-1 away, the Italian champions won the return 1-0 through Marcelo Zalayeta. The teams' only other encounter in UEFA competition came in the 1979/80 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semi-final when Arsenal progressed with a 1-0 away success after a 1-1 draw at Highbury.

Strong at home
• In 15 meetings with English sides on a home-and-away basis, the Bianconeri have prevailed on aggregate seven times.

• Their home record is much stronger, winning ten of their 15 contests and losing just three. Juventus also twice beat Liverpool in one-off games, the 1984/85 European Cup final (1-0) and the UEFA Super Cup match (2-0) earlier that same season.

Superior scores
• Arsenal, competing in their eighth successive season of this competition, are delighted with how their first meeting with Serie A opposition in the knockout rounds has started.

• After dismissing Real Madrid CF in the first knockout round through Henry's single goal in the Santiago Bernabéu, they are now well placed to remove another UEFA Champions League winner from the competition. That would also enable Highbury to stage one more European game - from next term they will have left their historic home of 93 years and will be playing at a new ground at nearby Ashburton Grove.

Prolific Henry
• They also have good memories of their last two visits to Italy - beating FC Internazionale Milano 5-1 in the 2003/04 group stage, with Henry twice on target, and AS Roma 3-1 in the second group stage the previous season through an Henry hat-trick.

• They have lost only three times on their nine visits to Italy. On the last four occasions they have been paired in the same group as Serie A opponents their combined scores have always proved superior.

Won and lost
• Arsenal have twice played Italian sides in UEFA finals. In the 1993/94 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final they beat Parma FC 1-0 in Copenhagen but then lost the 1994 UEFA Super Cup 2-0 on aggregate to AC Milan.

Miserly in defence
• In the current campaign, Arsenal are easily the least generous side to opponents, conceding a mere two goals in nine fixtures to date.

Semi-final opponents
• The winners can look forward to a semi-final tie against the victors of FC Internazionale Milano against Villarreal CF, with Inter holding a 2-1 advantage from the first leg in Milan.