Arsenal's Tomas Rosicky at a training session in London Colney on Tuesday. (AFP)

London: Uefa Cup holders Sevilla are ready for baptism by fire when they make their Champions League debut against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, while Barcelona look to shrug off an indifferent start to the season when they host Olympique Lyon.

Sevilla are making their second visit to north London in just over five months after drawing 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur in the Uefa Cup in April. It is unlikely their visit to Arsenal will begin quite like their trip to Spurs.

Up 2-1 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie, Sevilla scored twice in the opening eight minutes to go 4-1 ahead on aggregate at White Hart Lane, eventually advancing 4-3 and going on to win the Uefa Cup for the second successive season.

Former Spurs striker Frederic Kanoute, who scored Sevilla’s second goal that night, is currently in blistering form this season.

Kanoute will lead Sevilla’s attacking line against his old rivals with considerable help from Russian Alexander Kerzhakov.

Buoyed by this season’s form, Sevilla are confident they can cause Arsenal a few problems.

They hammered AEK Athens 6-1 on aggregate to qualify for the group stage and have netted eight goals in their two Primera Liga matches played so far.

Centre back Javi Navarro is sidelined with an injury and Brazilian midfielder Adriano Correia is also missing, but Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano, French defender Julien Escude and German fullback Andreas Hinkel will all return.

Arsenal go into the game after a 3-1 win at Tottenham on Saturday which preserved their unbeaten start to the season and saw them rise to the top of the Premier League for the first time since October 2004.

The principal architect of Arsenal’s win was 20-year-old Spaniard Cesc Fabregas who scored an outstanding goal — his fifth of the season — and whose passing and movement in midfield was excellent.

Arsenal ooze confidence and style, although Sevilla are sure to test a back line missing the injured William Gallas (groin) and Emmanuel Eboue (ankle). Arsenal will still start as clear favourites to begin their 10th successive season in the Champions League proper with a victory.

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger is taking nothing for granted and said: “I know Sevilla very well and I think they are one of the best teams in Europe.”

Barcelona’s spluttering start to the Primera Liga season has coach Frank Rijkaard scratching his head on the eve of their group E opener against Olympique Lyon.

The 2006 winners have struggled to goalless draws away to Osasuna and Racing Santander, and were helped by a refereeing error in a 3-1 home win over Athletic Bilbao two weeks ago.

They have only scored one goal from open play, but television replays showed that Yaya Toure’s shot against Bilbao came down on the line after hitting the crossbar. The other two were a penalty and free-kick from Ronaldinho.

“This isn’t the image that I want for Barcelona and it isn’t the one we should be giving,” Rijkaard said after Sunday’s draw with Osasuna. “We still haven’t seen the Barcelona we are all used to seeing.”

Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’ is out with a thigh injury, but in France striker Thierry Henry they have a proven goalscorer as a replacement. The problem is he has yet to break his duck for his new club in the league.

Argentina forward Lionel Messi was rested with a thigh strain on Sunday, but is expected to be back to join Ronaldinho and Henry in their familiar three-pronged attack.

Carles Puyol is still recovering from a knee ligament injury which means Argentina’s Gabriel Milito will probably accompany France’s Lilian Thuram in the centre of defence.

(Reuters)