Arsenal vs Bayern Munich: Match Thread.

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Sanj

Sanj

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Jun 1, 2011
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Arsenal take on Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night as both team do battle in the last 16 of the Champions League. After coming second in their group, the Gunners were always in danger of drawing one of the European giants, and there are not many clubs as big or as strong as Bayern Munich. The German giants have a rich history in this competition having won it four times, and they are one of the favourites to win it this year. Arsenal go into this game on the back of getting dumped out of the FA Cup by Blackburn. Arsene Wenger rested some of his star players against Blackburn and in the end it backfired as the likes of Gervinho,Diaby and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain disappointed. Against Bayern Munich, Arsenal are clearly the underdogs and that could help Wenger’s side. There is no real expectation on this Arsenal team heading into the game on Tuesday and many expect Bayern to breeze past Arsenal. The Gunners last met Bayern Munich in the 2005/06 season when they again clashed in the last 16 of the Champions League. Arsenal lost the first leg in Germany 3-1, and they could not overturn that deficit at home despite winning 1-0, so the Germans knocked Arsenal out. Since then, both teams have moved stadiums and none of the players that played in those ties, will feature on Tuesday night. After going out of the FA Cup, this is Arsenal’s last shot at a trophy and although Arsenal’s chances of winning it are very slim, the fact remains that the CL is still a cup competition, and you just never know what might happen if Arsenal play at their best and Bayern Munich have a rare off day. Either way, this game should be a brilliant watch, both teams can be joys to watch. Keeping a clean sheet could be vital for the Gunners but in the six Champions League games they have played this season, the Gunners have only kept one clean sheet. On Tuesday, Arsenal host a true European giant, in Bayern Munich and in such company, you can only hope that the Arsenal players can raise their game and make it a competitive match.

Bayer Munich have been nothing short of sensational this season, they are currently running away with the title in the Bundesliga and have also made progress in the German cup, so they have the chance to win a famous treble and with the sort of form they have shown this season, you won’t back against them doing it. Last season, they were also in the running for all the major honours, but came second in every competition. Losing the Champions League final to Chelsea on their own turf must have hurt the most but they have reacted like champions this season, by bouncing back and crushing their rivals in the Bundesliga. They currently have a fifteen point gap over Borussia Dortmund who sit in second place. So the title is all but wrapped up for Bayern and that gives them the chance to put even more focus on the Champions League. They last won the famous cup in 2001 after they overcame Valencia in the San Siro. So it’s been twelve years since they won it and in recent times, they have come close to landing their fifth European cup. In 2010, they lost out to Inter Milan, while last year they suffered a painful heartbreak against Chelsea in the final. The hurt has only made their players hungrier as the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm try and lead this current Bayern team to European glory. This season is going to be Jupp Heynckes’s final season in charge of Bayern Munich as he steps down in the summer with Pep Guardiola waiting to take over the managerial reigns.

Bayern Munich spent a lot of money to bring Javier Martinez in the summer and the Spanish midfielder has the potential to be one of the best, but he has yet find his best form on a consistent basis. He has returned from an injury in time to take on the Gunners. Alongside him in the heart of the Bayern Munich midfield is Bastian Schweinsteiger, a true world class player. A man that has proved his worth on the biggest of stages and a man that controls the Bayern midfield week in week out, his battle with Jack Wilshere is something to watch out for. On the wings, Bayern pose all sorts of danger with the likes of Franck Ribery and Thomas Muller. Ribery is one of the best wide players In Europe and he can destroy any full back on his day. Bacary Sagna is going to have his hands full trying to stop his fellow countrymen. In attack, Mario Gomez no longer leads the Bayern Munich front line instead it’s Mario Mandzukic that leads the line and the Croatian has been in the goals this season. He has scored fifteen goals in the Bundesliga and he also able to link the play and combine with the likes of Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller. While Bayern have been impressive going forward, it’s at the back where they have been truly outstanding this season. In their league, they have only conceded seven goals all season. They have yet to concede a goal this year as well. So the Arsenal attack have a tough test ahead of them . The likes of Theo Walcott, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud would not have come up against a back line as mean as the Bayern defence so they have to be at their clinical best if they are to get the better of such a defence.

The likes of Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla represent Arsenal’s biggest hope on Tuesday night as they are the two creative talents that could possibly give Bayern a few problems. Jack Wilshere has shown his talents against some of the best teams in the world and Wilshere is a player that does not fear anyone and his drive and skill give Arsenal an extra dimension. With Kieran Gibbs injured and Nacho Monreal cup tied, Thomas Vermaelen is the man that is expected to fill in at left back against Bayern and Vermaelen has to stand up and be counted. His form has been incredibly patchy this season and at times, he has performed like anything but the captain of Arsenal. In the last three years, Arsenal have been knocked out of the Champions League in the last 16 and this season they have to overcome the mighty Bayern Munich to reach the last eight. It’s an almost impossible task in the eyes many, but football never ceases to amaze so anything is possible, tune in on Tuesday night to see if Arsenal can pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season and beat Bayern Munich.


Team News:

Arsene Wenger:
[on the team news] What has changed is that Monreal is not available, Mertesacker will be back in the squad and there is an uncertainty about Koscielny. Jenkinson is also available again.
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Three Key Match-ups:

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Overall Record vs Bayern Munich:

Played: 4
Won: 1
Draws: 1
Losses: 2
For: 4
Against: 6
GD: -2

Last 4 Meetings:

Arsenal 1 - 0 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich 3 - 1 Arsenal
Arsenal 2 - 2 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich 1 - 0 Arsenal

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How They Got Here:

Group B:
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  • Montpellier HSC 1 - 2 Arsenal
  • Arsenal 3 - 1 Olympiacos
  • Arsenal 0 - 2 Schalke 04
  • Schalke 04 2 - 2 Arsenal
  • Arsenal 2 - 0 Montpellier HSC
  • Olympiacos 2 - 1 Arsenal


Group F:
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  • Bayern Munich 1 - 0 Valancia
  • BATE Borisov 3 - 1 Bayern Munich
  • Lille 0 - 1 Bayern Munich
  • Bayern Munich 6 - 1 Lille
  • Valanica 1 - 1 Bayern Munich
  • Bayern Munich 4 - 1 BATE Borisov


Manager's Views:

Arsene Wenger on being the underdogs against Bayern Munich:
We are the underdogs - you just need to read the English press to understand that, we have pressure because we want to do well and we want to win. I believe that whether you are favourites or underdogs, what counts is to play well, make a good pass when you have the ball and defend well when you don't have the ball. All the rest, in our job, you have to take a distance from it. What is important is that when you play to win a competition, at some stage you have to play a big team.
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My Team:

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Final Score:

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I don't know how Giroud can expect to score against the Bayern defense when he couldn't against Blackburn. I don't think he's earned this start at all.

Walcott needs to play centre forward for a couple of reasons:

1. Bayern will attack us, so Walcott has a decent chance of finding space to run into.
2. Walcott will give us 100% if he's played as a center forward in the biggest match of the season. What bigger show of trust could Wenger make?

If Ramsey is fit, he should come in for Giroud. Ramsey has earnt his place. Besides, Wilshere is our best chance of creating a goal against Bayern, so he needs to be in his AM role.

---------Walcott----------
Podolski--Wilshere--Cazorla
-----Arteta---Ramsey-----
 
If we are going to drop Giroud, than I would rather see Podolski through the middle. Against a team like Bayern, Walcott's link play is not going to be good enough. Again, this is what happens when you lack a world class CF, you have to pick players that only excel in certain aspects compared to the top forwards, who are more complete in their game.
 
For all the talk that Bayern have a miserly defence, I notice they've conceded 7 goals in the group stages of the Champions League. That's only one fewer than us.

Perhaps they are vulnerable, after all?
 
For some reason im not getting excited about this one like i normally do for big champions league games
 
I expect a stirring performance from us. Wenger looked really riled in the press conference and I expect our players to respond. Wilshere will be the star player for us. It all comes down to Walcott getting the service and Wilshere/Cazorla provding that. Hit them with as much pace as possible. We have a full squad and with our backs to the wall, we should pull it off.

Arsenal 2-1 Bayern
 
The key would be to expose Daniel Van Buyten along the ground. Desperately lacking in pace and very uncomfortable when one on one. Selecting Giroud would play right into Bayern' hands, anyone else would do imo. Even Gervinho or Arshavin. But the best option for you would be to play Walcott through the middle, ticks all the boxes and Bayern would have to take far more consideration with leaving to much space behind them.
 
NorwayRanger said:
The key would be to expose Daniel Van Buyten along the ground. Desperately lacking in pace and very uncomfortable when one on one. Selecting Giroud would play right into Bayern' hands, anyone else would do imo. Even Gervinho or Arshavin. But the best option for you would be to play Walcott through the middle, ticks all the boxes and Bayern would have to take far more consideration with leaving to much space behind them.
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I agree, we need to scare them with our best weapons. Unless Giroud has a blinder, he doesn't have anything that will scare them to much at the back. But against Walcott, they will sit further back and be more cautious of going forward in defence and midfield. Wilshere, Cazorla and Podolski (though i think he will struggle), will have opportunities. We may have change from possession to counter-attack, if our midfield struggle. This is the first time this season where we have faced a formidable midfield (apart from Chelsea), how will Wilshere and Cazorla cope with this?
 
I also think we should exploit counter attacks against a team that is likely to attack and hold a lot of possession.

It could be a Walcott type of game but I'd still play him wide "officially". Giroud is useful.
 
gent said:
I also think we should exploit counter attacks against a team that is likely to attack and hold a lot of possession.

It could be a Walcott type of game but I'd still play him wide "officially". Giroud is useful.
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If he can play the Drogba role of holding up the ball, then that would be great. Just keep it simple and bring the big guns in like Walcott, Cazorla, Podolski and Wilshere to do the rest. I'm just intriged how well our midfield will hold up against Bayern.
 
lazarus20000 said:
I agree, we need to scare them with our best weapons. Unless Giroud has a blinder, he doesn't have anything that will scare them to much at the back. But against Walcott, they will sit further back and be more cautious of going forward in defence and midfield. Wilshere, Cazorla and Podolski (though i think he will struggle), will have opportunities. We may have change from possession to counter-attack, if our midfield struggle. This is the first time this season where we have faced a formidable midfield (apart from Chelsea), how will Wilshere and Cazorla cope with this?
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The midfield battle should be interesting and probably the key to who gets through. At the start I couldn't see why FCB had splashed out a record fee for Javi Martinez, but lately I've started to see his true worth to the team. Not very quick it should be said but he has one of the finest football brains I've witnessed. His reading of the game is exceptional, and for lacking a bit of pace he is very mobile and operated from box to box, a perfect fold to Schweinsteiger. And in front of them my favourite, Toni Kroos, a proper playmaker with probably the biggest talent/potential in the side. Will be interesting to see who starts of Muller and Robben. Based on form this season it would be Muller hands down. But if Robben's cameo on Friday is anything to go by he should start, can't remember to have seen him so fired up in a long time, lots of initiative and unselfish play for a change.

Anyway, good luck tonight. This Bayern side has great resiliance and have an unbelievable nack of coming back from defeat so you would most likely need to keep a clean sheet (1-0) or a two goal margin (3-1) before the second leg. 2-0 Arsenal win would be very hard for FCB to overturn imo.
 
<laugh> at the Spud having to support another team because his one is struggling in the Europey cup.

I think we've got a chance against Bayern tonight. We will probably have to play counter attacking football because Bayern will have a lot of the ball. But that could suit us. It could be a game for Walcott to excel in.
 
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