UEFA Champions League Preview: Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich

April 17, 2024

Returning to the storied Allianz Arena for another chapter in their Champions League saga, Arsenal brace themselves for the second leg of their thrilling quarter-final clash with Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

The initial showdown at the Emirates Stadium was good. Still, Mikel Arteta's side rued costly errors in a hard-fought 2-2 draw against the seasoned Bundesliga contenders, who held their ground despite the absence of their traveling supporters.

Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane, once products of Arsenal's youth system, showcased their prowess for the German side, leaving an indelible mark on Emirates soil with a mesmerizing display that ignited a four-goal spectacle.

While Bukayo Saka's clinical strike initially sparked hope for the Gunners, Bayern's brilliance, embodied by Gnabry and Kane, ultimately shifted the momentum in Thomas Tuchel's favor. Only late heroics from golden substitute Leandro Trossard prevented Bayern Munich from securing a decisive victory.

Despite a nervy moment at the final whistle, where Manuel Neuer's challenge on Saka escaped penalty scrutiny, leaving Arsenal fans aggrieved, the stalemate at the Emirates tilts the balance in Bayern Munich's favor, especially with the abolition of the away goals rule.

Bayern Munich Betting Preview (+150 at Everygame)

As the Bavarians ventured onto North London terrain, their grip on the German top-flight title was slipping, evident in their desperate 2-0 victory over FC Koln last weekend. However, Bayer Leverkusen's resounding triumph over Werder Bremen the following day signaled the end of Bayern's 11-year hegemony in the Bundesliga.

Removing domestic pressure may reinvigorate Bayern Munich, which now focuses solely on European glory for the remainder of the season. Historically, they have excelled in Champions League knockout ties, progressing from 17 of their last 18 encounters after avoiding defeat in the first leg. Furthermore, their unbeaten streak of 14 home matches in Europe's premier tournament adds to their formidable reputation.

Despite receiving a significant injury boost before their trip to the Emirates last week, Thomas Tuchel may face another setback as critical players will likely be sidelined for the second game.

Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich's first-choice left-back, is suspended after picking up his third yellow card in the tournament. Elsewhere, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, and Kingsley Coman are nursing various injuries, with Gnabry's hamstring issue and Coman's groin problem ruling them out. Tuchel has urged Sane to push through the pain on Wednesday.

In addition to these absences, Sacha Boey, Bouna Sarr, Tarek Buchmann, and Gabriel Marusic remain sidelined due to injury. However, Manuel Neuer rested during the weekend's victory over Koln as a precaution and is expected to resume his role guarding the posts.

With Alphonso Davies suspended, Raphael Guerreiro and Noussair Mazraoui are in contention for the left-back spot.

Arsenal Betting Preview (+170 at Everygame)

Liverpool's failure against Crystal Palace in Sunday's early kick-off handed the Gunners a golden opportunity to extend their lead in the title race. However, what seemed like a promising Sunday turned into a disappointment for the Emirates faithful. Despite dominating the first half against top-four hopefuls Aston Villa, Mikel Arteta's men failed to convert their chances, allowing Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins to secure victory for Unai Emery's side.

As a result, some Arsenal supporters have already resigned themselves to another season without the title. Mikel Arteta's team now trails Manchester City by two points following their first Premier League defeat of 2024. The loss against Villa, where Arsenal struggled to maintain their first-half momentum, was a wake-up call.

However, Arteta's squad cannot afford to dwell on the setback for long. The traveling fans can draw confidence from Arsenal's impressive defensive record away from home. The Gunners have conceded just one goal in their last six away matches and kept clean sheets in their last three.

Tuchel and Arteta are in a shared struggle with fresh selection concerns, notably with Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard unable to complete the full 90 minutes at the weekend due to an unspecified issue. However, Odegaard trained on Tuesday and is anticipated to resume his regular role for the upcoming trip to Munich.

Jurrien Timber remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from a devastating ACL injury. However, there's optimism that the Dutchman may return in the final weeks of the season.

Meanwhile, Arteta might consider adjustments in the full-back positions following Oleksandr Zinchenko's underwhelming performance against Aston Villa on Sunday and Jakub Kiwior's struggles against Bayern Munich's dynamic wingers last week. Thus. Takehiro Tomiyasu could be given the starting role this time.

Possible Starting Lineups of Bayern Munich and Arsenal

Bayern Munich: Manuel Neuer - Noussair Mazraoui, Eric Dier, Matthijs de Ligt, Joshua Kimmich - Leon Goretzka, Konrad Laimer - Jamal Musiala, Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane - Harry Kane. (4-2-3-1)

Arsenal: David Raya - Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Takehiro Tomiyasu - Declan Rice - Bukayo Saka, Jorginho, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli - Kai Havertz. (4-1-4-1)

Spooky Express Betting Prediction

Could we witness another all-German Champions League final at Wembley? Well, we're still on the eve of the last quarter-final ties, but with Borussia Dortmund just securing one of the semi-final spots and Bayern Munich still in the race, we shouldn't discard such a possibility.

Last week, Bayern Munich's tactically astute approach proved dominant. Their center-backs, midfielders, and wingers imposed significant threats on Arsenal, revealing the Gunners' lack of experience in high-stakes European contests.

While Arteta's Gunners typically demonstrate defensive solidity away from home, their lack of ruthlessness and second-half collapse against Villa raised concerns. With Bayern enjoying an extra day of rest, the Gunners face an uphill battle to keep their Champions League aspirations alive ahead of a congested Premier League schedule.

Memories of past humiliations at the Allianz Arena linger. Arsenal's recent visits to Munich have ended in successive 5-1 defeats to Bayern in 2015 and 2017. Out of six games against the Bavarian giants on German soil, Arsenal have only emerged victorious once - a 2-0 victory in the last-16 second leg in March 2013, a result rendered inconsequential due to the abolished away goals rule (Bayern won the first leg 3-1 in North London).

The Bavarians, however, cannot rely on such technicalities to secure victory this time. They need to overcome Arsenal, preferably in regular time, to avoid a first trophyless season in over a decade.

Bayern Munich's prolific striker, Harry Kane, is on the verge of a significant milestone against Arsenal. With just one more goal, the England forward will surpass Wayne Rooney as the all-time top scorer against the Gunners. Kane is currently level with Rooney at 15 goals.

Spooky Express Free Play: Outcome And Totals - 1X and Over 2.5 Goals +170 at Everygame for 5/10 Units

Spooky Express Free Play 2: Harry Kane Anytime Goalscorer +115 at Everygame for 5/10 Units

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