Both Bayern Munich and Arsenal will be under enormous pressure when they resume hostilities in their Champions League clash this evening.
The heavyweights played out a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their quarter-final last week before suffering a European hangover on their return to the domestic front.
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Arsenal relinquished their grip on the Premier League title race when they were beaten 2-0 at home to Aston Villa on Sunday.
Bayern, meanwhile, may have beaten Cologne 2-0 on Saturday but had to watch Bayer Leverkusen end their dominance of Germany’s top flight.
Thomas Tuchel’s side had won every Bundesliga crown since 2013, but have now missed out on Harry Kane’s first season at the club.
The return to the Champions League has added stakes for both teams, with Bayern losing three quarter-finals in a row since winning the trophy in 2020, while Arsenal return to Munich looking to banish the demons of their two defeats 5-1 away in 2015 and 2017.
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich: Kane and capable
England captain Kane will join an illustrious group if he continues to haunt Arsenal with another goal.
Former Tottenham striker Kane has scored 15 goals in 20 appearances against the Gunners, including one in the first leg against them last week, scoring only more against Leicester (20) and Everton (16) over the of his professional career.
His career has always been intrinsically linked to the Gunners, having been released from the club’s academy as a youngster.
From there, he signed for Tottenham and became Spurs’ all-time top scorer, also overtaking Thierry Henry for the most goals in the north London derby.
Most read in the Champions League
Only three players have ever scored in the two UEFA Champions League last 16 matches against the Gunners and two of them were playing for Kane’s Bayern Munich at the time.
Lionel Messi first managed for Barcelona in 2015-16, before Robert Lewandowski and Arjen Robben both completed their rout in 2016-17.
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- Martin Odegaard created five chances in the first leg against FC Bayern Munchen; the most made by an Arsenal player in a UEFA Champions League knockout match since Cesc Fabregas in February 2010 (5 against FC Porto).
- Thomas Müller could make his 150th UEFA Champions League appearance for FC Bayern Munchen (currently 149), which would see him become the third player to reach this milestone for a team in the competition, after Xavi with Barcelona (151) and Iker Casillas . with Real Madrid (150).
- Bukayo Saka has been directly involved in eight UEFA Champions League goals this season (four goals, four assists); the highest number ever achieved by an English player in his first season in the competition. Indeed, only Thierry Henry has scored more goals and assists in total in a single edition for Arsenal (10 in 2002-03 and 11 in 2003-04).
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich: team news
Former Arsenal player Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman are both absent through injury, but Leroy Sane is expected to be fit.
Alphonso Davies is suspended after being booked in the first leg, while Sacha Boey and Bouna Sarr are both long-term absentees.
Arsenal are sweating over the fitness of captain Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka after the former was sent off on Sunday for an unspecified issue.
Saka was also seen limping at the end of the match and Arteta refused to confirm whether both were fit to start.
Jurrien Timber remains the club’s only confirmed absentee, but Arteta will likely ring the changes after an opening defeat in 2024.
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- Arsenal have completed the most passes to break the opposition’s defensive line in the UEFA Champions League this season (111), with four different players doing so more than 10 times – also the most of any team in the tournament in progress (16 Ben White, 11). Bukayo Saka, 11 Jakub Kiwior and 10 Martin Ødegaard).
- In the UEFA Champions League round of 16, FC Bayern München have only managed to qualify in one of their previous 18 home-and-away matches, avoiding defeat in the first leg – to Liverpool in round of 16 in 2018-19 (0-0 in the first leg, lost 1-3 in the second leg at the Allianz Arena).
- FC Bayern München coach Thomas Tuchel is looking to qualify for a UEFA Champions League semi-final with a third different team, having already done so with Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. The only coach to do so with more than three different teams in the competition is José Mourinho (FC Porto, Chelsea, Internazionale and Real Madrid).
Bayern Munich vs Arsenal: What was said?
Speaking after the defeat to Villa, Arteta was asked how he plans to boost morale ahead of a season-deciding game.
He replied: “After losing any match, I get frustrated and sad.
“But we have a great opportunity, an opportunity that hasn’t presented itself at this club for 14 years, to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.
“This couldn’t come at a better time.”
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- Arsenal have won just one of their six away games against FC Bayern München in the UEFA Champions League (D1 L4), with that only victory coming in March 2013 in the second leg of the round of 16 ( 2-0). Indeed, despite this victory, the Gunners were still eliminated from the tournament after losing on away goals (3-3 in total).
- Arsenal have lost on each of their last three trips to German sides in the UEFA Champions League, with the last two ending in 5-1 defeats against FC Bayern München (November 2015 and February 2017). Along with their heaviest away defeats in Europe, these are the only two occasions where Arsenal have conceded five away goals in a European competition.
- FC Bayern München are looking to qualify for the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the 13th time, while Arsenal are aiming for just the third time. Since the Gunners last qualified for a semi-final of the competition in 2008-09, the German side have done so on eight occasions.
Bayern Munich vs Arsenal: talkSPORT coverage
This Champions League quarter-final second leg will take place on Wednesday April 10.
Kick-off at the Allianz Arena is scheduled for 8 p.m.
talkSPORT will provide live coverage of the match, presented by Adrian Durham from the Etihad Stadium.
Comments will come from Jim Proudfoot and former England striker Darren Bent.
talkSPORT.com will also publish a live blog to cover all the action.
