Returning to the site of many Champions League disappointments, Arsenal will take to the Allianz Arena turf on Wednesday night for the second leg of their quarterfinal clash with Bayern Munich.
Last week's match at the Emirates Stadium lived up to expectations, but Mikel Arteta's team was left ruing uncharacteristic errors in a 2-2 draw with the former Bundesliga champions. Despite the absence of away fans, Bayern managed to secure a hard-fought draw.
Former Arsenal academy players Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane made their mark for Bayern Munich, with both players scoring against their former club. Bukayo Saka's goal initially sparked hope for Arsenal, but Bayern's superior individual quality eventually proved decisive. Gnabry and Kane's goals, along with a late strike from Leandro Trossard, denied Arsenal a crucial victory.
The Bavarians narrowly escaped a tense moment at the end of the match when Manuel Neuer's collision with Saka was not deemed a penalty, much to Arsenal's dismay. The 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium is a favorable result for Bayern, even without the away goals rule.
Bayern Munich, who were hoping to win the German top-flight title, managed to delay Bayer Leverkusen's coronation by defeating Koln 2-0 on Saturday. However, Bayer Leverkusen's comprehensive 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen the following day ended Bayern's 11-year reign of supremacy in the Bundesliga.
The removal of domestic competition may inject new energy into Bayern, who now have only the pursuit of European success left in their season. The team has a strong record in Champions League knockout ties, advancing from 17 of their last 18 ties when avoiding defeat in the first leg. They have also been unbeaten in their last 14 home matches in the Champions League.
However, Bayern's only elimination in that sequence came against English opposition in the 2018-19 season when they lost to Liverpool. Arsenal had a chance to capitalize on Liverpool's slip-up against Crystal Palace in the Premier League title race but failed to do so. After dominating the first half against Aston Villa, Arsenal suffered a 2-1 defeat, with goals from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins securing the win for Villa and giving Unai Emery, Arsenal's former manager, the last laugh against his old club.
Some skeptical Arsenal fans have already resigned themselves to another title disappointment as Mikel Arteta's team trails Manchester City by two points after their first Premier League defeat of 2024. The loss to Villa exposed a lack of first-half control, leading to their eventual defeat despite a strong second-half showing from Villa.
Arteta and his team cannot dwell on Sunday's loss for too long. Arsenal's impressive defensive record away from home, conceding just one goal in their last six away matches and keeping clean sheets in the last three, provides a source of encouragement for the traveling supporters.
However, memories of past humiliations at the Allianz Arena haunt Arsenal as they return to Munich, having suffered successive 5-1 defeats to Bayern in 2015 and 2017. Out of their six away games against Bayern, Arsenal have only won once, a 2-0 victory in March 2013 that was ultimately inconsequential due to the abolished away goals rule.
Bayern Munich faces their own challenges, with injuries affecting key players like Alphonso Davies, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, and Kingsley Coman. While Manuel Neuer is expected to be fit, the absence of several key players may pose a significant challenge for Bayern boss Tuchel.
Tuchel and Arteta can empathize with each other's concerns regarding their attacking options. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard could not complete the full 90 minutes in the loss to Villa due to an unspecified issue, raising concerns about his fitness for the second leg.
Jurrien Timber will definitely be absent as he continues his recovery from a devastating ACL injury. However, there is hope that the Dutchman will make his long-awaited comeback in May. Arteta may consider changes in the full-back positions.
Following Oleksandr Zinchenko's underwhelming performance against Villa and Jakub Kiwior's struggles against Bayern's dynamic wingers last week, Takehiro Tomiyasu might be selected from the start this time around.
