UEFA League: Egypt’s Elneny scores 1st goal with Arsenal

Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny opened his Arsenal account in emphatic fashion, scoring a superb goal in Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League clash against Barcelona at the Nou Camp.

The 23-year-old made it 1-1 on 51 minutes when he received a pass from Alexis Sanchez with an unstoppable right-footed curler that nestled into the top corner from the edge of the area.

He became the first Egyptian player to score against Barcelona in an official game after former Ajax striker Mido and Ahly’s Hani El-Egeizi netted against the Catalans in friendly matches.

Barcelona eventually emerged 3-1 winners to reach the last eight with a 5-1 aggregate victory but Elneny left his mark with a solid display. He repeatedly stole possession from the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar and made a decent contribution to Arsenal’s attacking attempts at the other end.

It was his first Champions League appearance since joining from Basel in the January transfer window.

Elneny quickly made a fine impact with Arsenal after featuring in two Premier League games and four FA Cup matches.

source: Ahram Online