Credit: Arsenal.com
The UEFA Champions League enters the make-or-break moments as Bayern Munich takes on Arsenal in the second leg of their quarter-final tie.
Bayern Munich are hoping to advance to another Champions League semi-final ahead of Arsenal in one of the most anticipated clashes of the Last Eight. There is a spot against either Manchester City or Real Madrid to complete this dreaded route to the final in London on June 1.
Bayern have won seven and drawn two of their previous 12 UCL encounters with Arsenal and they ran out 5-1 victors the last time the Gunners visited in 2017. Arsenal will have to overcome a huge mental block to knock out the Bavarians.
Thomas Tuchel’s side is enduring a tough campaign but the six-time European champions have their focus firmly on the trophy with the big years after a tumultuous domestic season.
Bayer Leverkusen has unexpectedly risen to the top of the table while Bayern struggled for consistency, the Bavarians lost the DFL Super Cup to RB Leipzig but went unbeaten at the start of the Bundesliga campaign as well as in the opening UCL group stage games.
The Germans were already assured of a place in the Last 16 after a 2-1 victory over Galatasaray on Matchday 4 before welcoming Copenhagen to Munich for their only draw of the campaign.
A crushing 5-1 league defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt followed but they rounded up the European campaign with a 1-0 win against Manchester United. Six wins came from the next seven matches but things quickly went bad for Bayern as Leverkusen and Bochum both dealt them embarrassing league defeats, either side of a shock 1-0 reverse at Lazio.
That sequence of results left the team eight points behind Leverkusen by matchweek 22 and it proved devastating for Tuchel who will now leave his job at the end of the season. Nevertheless, Bayern turned around their UCL Last 16 tie with a 3-0 defeat of Lazio which was followed by the high-scoring thrashings of Mainz and Darmstadt.
Die Roten are aware that the Champions League is perhaps their best route to end this season with silverware and the games against Arsenal require maximum concentration given the Gunners’ form in 2024.
Bayern are currently ten points adrift of their league leaders and their unreliable performances are also a concern, however, they must find a way to beat the high-flying Gunners. The resounding response to their first-leg deficit in the last round is a good blueprint to follow but Tuchel’s men can ill afford to let Arsenal wield an advantage.
Germany’s most successful club can call upon bags of experience in such big nights and that could prove key when the determining moments of this tie are evaluated.
Arsenal have massively improved since the last time they were in the Champions League and they will be looking to make something out of their first quarterfinal in 14 years. Mikel Arteta’s side came close to lifting the Premier League title last season and their reaction has been emphatic so far in this campaign.
The league season started with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at home to Nottingham Forest that was followed by six wins and three draws from the next nine games as they stayed unbeaten. A controversial defeat at Newcastle was their first of the campaign but Arsenal stayed resilient and determined despite that setback as they churned out results against Burnley, Brentford, and Wolves.
Declan Rice’s 97th-minute goal decided a thrilling 4-3 victory at Luton Town but a lone-goal defeat to Aston Villa was fatal to their hopes. After a victory and a draw against Brighton and Liverpool, Arsenal had a less-than-ideal end to 2023 with consecutive defeats to West Ham and Fulham which saw them slip down the Premier League table.
The winter break provided a timely boost as Mikel Arteta’s side returned all guns blazing by beating Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, West Ham, and Burnley, scoring at least five times in three of those games.
A 1-0 defeat at Porto in their first UCL Round of 16 match in seven years provided a shock to the system which they responded to by beating Newcastle, Sheffield United, and Brentford.
Arsenal now occupy the top of the league table on goal difference and they did eventually overcome Porto after a tense penalty shootout in the second leg. They will be keen to show the measure of their growth by beating Bayern.
Although they may have more realistic chances this term than in previous seasons against Bayern, Arsenal must keep Harry Kane quiet after the former Tottenham captain scored 37 goals and counting in his first season.
The England striker is the record goalscorer in North London derbies against Arsenal and he will look to add to that tally during this tie. How well Arsenal deal with Kane’s multiple threats will directly contribute to the outcome of this fixture.
Match tickets
This UEFA Champions League Quarter-final decider takes place on Wednesday, 17 April 2024 with kick-off scheduled for 8 PM UK time. Match tickets are available for sale on each club’s website with guaranteed allocation for season ticket holders and registered members.
Arsenal has received an allocation of 3,779 away tickets for this game so the demand would be overwhelming with the Allianz Arena expected to be full. Both sets of supporters will be desperate to cheer their team on an important night so it promises to be a brilliant occasion for all involved.
Traveling fans who are yet to get their hands on a ticket may be lucky to find copies of Bayern Munich vs Arsenal tickets on a ticket resale site.
Team news
For Bayern, Bouna Sarr, Kingsley Coman, Noussair Mazraoui, and Raphael Guerreiro are all injured at the time of writing.
Gabriel Martinelli is a fitness concern but he should be available for selection by the time this game comes around. Arsenal could also have the welcome sight of Jurrien Timber back in the matchday squad after he made his return to training in February following an ACL injury.
Line-ups
The undisputed Bayern Munich dangerman is Kane but his creativity could be more important in setting up teammates. The hosts must play close to their striker who holds the key to disrupting the Arsenal backline.
Bayern Munich: Neuer; Kimmich, de Ligt, Dier, Davies; Pavlovic, Goretzka; Sané, Müller, Musiala; Kane
The chemistry in the Arsenal lineup cannot be tampered with considering their exceptional form in front of goal in the second half of the season. Fitness permitting, we are likely to see the same side that has started all of their recent matches.
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Jorginho, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Trossard
Prediction
The Allianz Arena is something of a bogey ground for Arsenal but they must overcome jitters in order to complete a sensational run to the last four. It is up to Bayern to show their pedigree and deliver a sucker punch to the in-form English side.
An intense clash awaits and Bayern may just nick it.
Bayern Munich 3-2 Arsenal
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