18 Yard Box has a look at the tie of the round tonight.
This
is one game that seems to have a foregone conclusion. 3 away goals by the
Bavarians in the 3-1 win over the Gunners by their standout attackers this
season, Müller, Kroos and Mandzukic has given them a near unassailable lead.
Can the Gunners salvage pride or will they capitulate?
18 Yard Box looks at the tie.
Arsenal
The 16th year of the Wenger era has by far been the most
horrendous for Arsenal. As if the sale of their two best performers of last
season was not enough, the irritating of the inconsistency of the team has seen
Arsenal languish at 5th in the League table. The same indifferent
form has also seen them lose to the likes of Olympiakos in the group stages of
the UEFA CL, with the hopes of qualifying for the next season of the elite
competition too diminishing fast. While players like Wilshere have gone on
record wishing to emulate the Chelsea model, the fact remains that Bayern are
simply far too strong.
First leg analysis
 |
| The Gunners were carved apart |
Simply too slow in passing the ball, Arsenal found themselves guilty of over passing it at times. The Bayern Munich defence stood firm, yet there glimpses of brilliance by the Arsenal midfield. Dominating possession at home. the Gunners were found guilty of squandering their chances. The midfield trio of Arteta, Cazorla and Wilshere did well. However, Ramsey was a liability. Giroud's miss could prove to be costly when the Gunners take the field on Wednesday night.
The Arsenal defence was thoroughly exposed, losing shape in every Bayern counter. Not closing the man down well (first goal), not clearing the corner well (second goal) and not able to deal with the pacey counter attacking football of the Bavarians (third goal), exposed the Arsenal defence from all angles.
Injuries, suspensions and changes
 |
| He might get a game tonight |
Arsenal’s
biggest blow is the loss of Jack Wilshere and Lukas Podolski to ankle injuries.
Bacary Sagna’s injury means Arsenal have to make do with Carl Jenkinson at
rightback. The one positive piece of news is the return of Keiran Gibbs at
leftback, freeing up Vermaelen back to his centreback position. Arsenal.com confirms that 1st choice
goalkeeper Szczesny will be rested, with Vito Mannone being the likely replacement.
Abou Diaby is to travel to Germany too. This would mean Cazorla being shifted
to the position behind the striker, in place of Wilshere or on the left wing in
place of Podolski. Tomas Rosicky would then be in the centre of the field.
There may indeed be a chance for out of favour winger Arshavin , as Wenger told
the club website.
Tactical Talking
Tactically, Arsenal are in a quandary for this game. To get through, they need
to score thrice against a team that has conceded 4 times in all competitions
this year. This translates to them having to play in a full-out attacking mode,
at the risk of losing possession and being shred apart by their much-fancied
opponents. A defensive approach won’t work wonders either as a draw would only
mean the end of the road for them. Compact defending, a high pass rate, ball
retention, movement around the ball and most importantly blocking out the
midfield from the opponent, were the features of the Bayern game at Ashburton
Grove. Arsenal should be ready to circumvent all this and still attack without
conceding goals.
Bayern Munich
Munich have most deservedly grabbed the pole position in
this contest. Sitting pretty with a 2 goal lead, they could do with even a
1-goal defeat, which in their form this season doesn’t look possible. Yet their
biggest pitfall would be underestimating their beleaguered opponents.
First Leg Analysis
 |
| They look well drilled |
Bayern Munich were extremely patient when they came out in the first leg. They knew that Arsenal would dominate possession and defended well. Exposing Arsenal's defensive frailities, Munich took adavantage of the Gunners' school boy errors and finished them for good by going three goals up. The Bayern defence looked sharp and stood strong and did not allow the Gunners' midfield to find the killer pass.
Good going front and great at the back, Munich had everything to make them look classy.
Injuries, suspensions and changes
 |
| Gustavo to start |
Injury to Ribery and Robben as well as
Schweinsteiger’s suspension indicates starts to Shaqiri on the wing while Luis
Gustavo would partner Javi Martinez. That apart, Bayern have nothing to change.
Reports on the club’s website also indicate the central defensive pairing of
Dante and Boateng.
Tactical Talking
While all that the Germans have to do is grind
a draw, they will most certainly attack and will play to win. That is only
fitting for a side that aims to present its outgoing club coach with the trophy
that has eluded them for long. Arsenal will have the attacking threats of
Kroos, Müller and Mandzukic unleashed upon them with the entire unit including
the defenders looking to attack. That said however, they will look to cut off
any provisions that the midfield may have for Giroud.
Defending wise, Bayern would like to stiffle the likes of Cazorla and Walcott and in the process bottlenecking the Arsenal attacks. A four man defence with Javi Martinez sitting in front will pose a great problem for the Gunners and might see them struggle to get any past the Bayern defence today.
Chances
One would be tempted to allude to Arsenal’s near comeback last seaon
against AC Milan at the same stage of the competition, and to Barcelona’s
comeback yesterday. As things stand right now though, the match surely seems to
be within the firm grip of Bayern Munich. While Bayern Munich also have their
share of injuries and suspensions, they have a well-oiled team with wonderful
squad depth, which is where Arsenal lag. Yet the Germans would do well not to
take the Gunners lightly, specially a wounded side who would have something to
prove. They could yet spring a surprise. A 2-0 victory for Bayern seems likely.
Written By,
Abhishek Karandikar
Abhishek is a writer for 18 Yard Box.
Also read the article 'Injuries and Suspensions risking a Munich disaster?'
Any Suggestions? Write to us on 18yardbox06@gmail.com
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