Arguably the most balanced of the Champions League quarter-finals, Arsenal face a big challenge on Wednesday night as they try to find a way past Bayern Munich after Tuesday’s 2-2 draw in North London . The Gunners will be worried that their season could be derailed if Sunday’s heavy defeat to Aston Villa leaves them out of Europe, but they will be forced to adapt their plans to Arsenal at the Emirates. I’m sure Thomas Tuchel is also feeling the same way. stadium.
The stakes are just as high for Bayern, who ended their 11-year reign as Bundesliga champions on Sunday. At undefeated Bayer Leverkusen. In fact, the Champions League is the club’s last chance to win a trophy this season, and it will be the first time Harry Kane has done so in his career. “We still have a chance to turn the season into a great one if we win the Champions League,” he said. “That motivation is still there and as a player you just have to hang on to it. Of course if we can do something special tomorrow night that will keep the hopes alive.”
Here’s how to watch the match and what you need to know.
Viewing method and probability
- date: Wednesday, April 17th | time: 3:00 PM ET
- position: Allianz Arena — Munich
- clock: paramount+
- Odds: Bayern Munich +130; draw +260; Arsenal +188
what happened in the first leg
Arsenal ran out of the blocks in front of 60,000 fans and felt they could have hidden the equalizer had Ben White gone one-on-one with Manuel Neuer immediately after Bukayo Saka curled into the far corner. It might have been. It was as if their bright start had stunned Arsenal, who were reeling as Bayern began to push forward up the pitch on the counter-attack. Serge Gnabry and Kane marked England’s return to the capital in devastating fashion, punishing mistakes from David Raya and William Saliba, among others. Mikel Arteta’s substitution restores Gunners’ footing Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard combined to return to equal performance on the night and in the match. Everything is yet to come.
how did they get here
Bayern Munich: Tuchel’s side reached the finals unbeaten, but their 16 points were not necessarily the most impressive. Manchester United gave an outright scare at the Allianz Arena, Galatasaray asked plenty of questions and Copenhagen may have felt they could have taken more than a point from the then German champions. Similarly, in the last 16, Thomas Muller and Harry Kane turned a first-leg loss into a comprehensive victory, and although they were in exceptional form, nothing was more impressive than the 3-1 aggregate win over Lazio. It wasn’t.
Arsenal: In the Champions League for the first time in seven years, Arteta’s side had no drama, the draw in the group stage was decided very simply and clearly, and even with the loss against Lille, the Gunners remain top of Group B with one game remaining. I couldn’t do that. There was no such room for rest in the round of 16 against Porto, with both teams winning 1-0 at home before Raya produced the best moment of his Arsenal career to date, saving two penalties. took the club to the quarterfinals for the first time. Time since 2010.
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team news
Bayern Munich: Alphonso Davies is suspended after receiving an early booking in the first leg, and it remains to be seen who Tuchel will turn to to fill the left-back hole. Nousser Mazraoui was playing on the opposite side of the field on Saturday, which could give him an advantage over Rafael Guerreiro. Meanwhile, with Gnabry and Kingsley Coman ruled out, Tuchel’s options in the side are limited, with even first-leg star Leroy Sane potentially only available “if he grits his teeth”.
Bayern Eleven possibilities: Neuer. Kimmich, De Ligt, Dyer, Mazraoui. Reimer, Goretzka. Sane, Muller, Musiala. Cain.
Arsenal: Despite limping off in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa, Martin Odegaard returned to training on Tuesday morning and gave a huge boost to his teammates. This means Arsenal have the whole squad involved in full training, although Julian Timber is yet to make his first appearance in the under-23s squad as he returns from the knee injury that has kept him sidelined since August. He needs game time. The range of options available to Arteta means the likes of Jorginho, Jesus, Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli will be among those vying for a place in the XI on Wednesday night.
Possible Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu. Reiss, Odegaard, Havertz. Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Quarterfinals TV broadcast schedule
Always US/East
prediction
This game is expected to be a tight draw, with Arsenal’s strength in depth potentially swinging the draw in their favor. choose: Bayern Munich 1, Arsenal 2.
