Arsenal will return to the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night to face Bayern Munich in a crucial second leg of the UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals. With the first leg ending in a 2-2 draw thanks to goals from both Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard, the Gunners will be looking for revenge after their last encounter at the Allianz ended in a 5-1 defeat ultimately knocking them out of the 2016/17 Champions League.
With Bayern Munich’s hopes of a trophy this season slowly fading, the Champions League is their last shot at winning silverware. This comes after Bayer Leverkusen ended Bayern’s 11-year title streak this past weekend. Although they did still claim a 2-0 victory against FC Koln, giving them some form of confidence heading into this one. Former Spurs striker Harry Kane silenced the Emirates with his penalty in the first leg but with the tie resulting in a draw he will once again need to find his shooting boots as he so often has against his old rivals.
Although it will be difficult for Arsenal to return from Germany with a spot in the semi-final for just the third time, it isn’t impossible. Their record in away ties against Bayern is also not the best as they have only won one of their last six, which came in the round of 16 in March 2013. If Arsenal are to progress, they’ll have to watch out for some key players during the game to limit the number of chances the home side will get:
Harry Kane
The ex-spurs man will be looking to knock his ex-rivals out of this year’s Champions League and add to his tally of 15 goals in 20 appearances against the Gunners. The 7 goals already in this season’s UCL, Kane will also be looking for another Golden Boot award come the end of the season.
His form this season isn’t only present in the Champions League but also in the Bundesliga as well, averaging a match rating of 7.92 and miles in front as the league’s top scorer with 32 goals in 29 appearances. The Englishman will be looking to replicate this form in Wednesday night’s clash.
Thomas Muller
Another Bayern Munich legend could be taking to the field on Wednesday in the name of Thomas Muller. Although his stats this season don’t prove to be one of his greatest seasons (5 G, 9 A in 35 games in all competitions), his everlasting influence and importance on the team through his experience and leadership are vital to his side’s successes almost every year. Muller also has a decent record vs Arsenal with five goals and one assist in seven encounters.
The German could be set to make his 150th UCL appearance for Bayern Munich, which would see him become only the third player to do so at a club, after Xavi at Barcelona (151) and Iker Casillas with Real Madrid (150).
Jamal Musiala
Another man for Arsenal to keep out of the game as much as possible is midfield youngster Jamal Musiala. In 20 Bundesliga starts, the German international has registered 10 goals and 6 assists whilst being the main playmaker in their attacks. Averaging a match rating of 7.67 in the league, Musiala looks to be another promising midfield asset who will be highly sought after in the future.
After coming through the ranks in Chelsea’s academy, Musiala burst onto the scene when he was just 17 years old in 2020 when Bayern had an injury crisis in midfield. His driven attitude is reflected on the pitch if he sees a chance for an attack, he will take it and with the quality that Bayern possesses especially in attack, Arteta’s men will need to be extremely weary of them.
The post Bayern Munich vs Arsenal: Three Players to Watch appeared first on AFTV.
https://ift.tt/olbm4S8from AFTV https://ift.tt/Lh7YWwt
via IFTTT
0 Comments:
Post a Comment