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Ever wondered what happens when your strongest soldier in a war comes face to face with the strongest warrior of your opposition, and after pulsating long hours of fight, the sword and shield of your beloved hero falls apart? That’s actually the right time to prove that “You” can still outperform your opponent and be triumphant. Just after another 2 days, Bayern Munich will travel to London’s finest with the sole purpose of humiliation and utter decimation. The mighty Arsenal who got knocked out by Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup in their own backyard now have something “bigger” to worry about.
Champions League: Bayern Munich vs Arsenal
Having lost previously in the group stages to Schalke at home, Arsenal now face their toughest European task this season. Advancing into the round of 16 has become a fallen dream for them, though there is something which Arsenal can only hope for.
They can outperform the best side from Germany and one of the finest in the planet with their final throw of the dice. Arsenal are out of the contention for Premier League and the hopes for a FA Cup title have died as well.
The mighty German giants will make a trip to the Emirates and Arsenal have one factor going into this fixture which Bayern doesn’t have – The underdog tag. Wenger and his men need to transfer the dressing room logic onto the field and win the first leg convincingly. Once Arsenal reach Germany next month with a goal advantage, they need to use Manchester United‘s secret in order to salvage a point at Allianz Arena. “Treat the game as a normal one and do not lose your nerves”. Arsenal have nothing to lose, people already feel that Munich are through to next round and this is where Arsenal can perform and topple the lethal Germans. Here are five factors that can help Arsenal knock Bayern Munich out of the Champions League.
5. Bayern Munich – Being Wasteful!
Success in a battle starts with measuring one’s strength and playing according to it. But what if all your strength combined is still less compared to your rival? Well, then hope for their weakness to explode. Bayern Munich is such a dangerous side that it has decimated tough oppositions with scores like 7-1 and 6-1, that too in this Champions League season. However, Munich have given away the battle to teams like Chelsea in last year’s final. The list also includes Inter Milan and Manchester United in the 2010 and 1999 Champions League finals respectively. Arsenal can hope that Bayern Munich dig a grave for themselves and get eliminated from the European Championship. It has happened in the past and can happen again.
4. Home Advantage – Take it as a Blessing!
Some say that playing second in your backyard gives you an advantage. They tend to forget that playing second at home after losing terribly counts for nothing. However, if you can play the first leg in your own backyard and win by a huge margin, it is left to the opposition to panic and create goals in the second leg. The best example is last year’s Chelsea vs Barcelona clash. Arsenal need to put a flawless performance at the Emirates with the final score reading 2-0 or maybe 3-0. This will snatch away Munich’s away goal advantage and put them two or three goals behind on aggregate. If the home side score first, Arsenal might just need to look for one goal at the Allianz Arena. That would be enough for them to advance into the next round.
3. Famous Five – Offense that can kill Munich
Arsenal’s rays of hope to score goals and create enough chances lie in the hands of Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla. The famous five need to take the initiative to do the job for the English giants. Walcott and Wilshere have an ability to become world class in future, so why not declare their supremacy now? On the other hand, Arteta, Podolski and Cazorla can turn out to be the men Munich may hate forever. The mixture of sharp vision, speed, accuracy and consistency among the five can lead Arsenal to a historical triumph over Bayern.
2. The Showstopper – Wojciech Szczesny
Arsenal can only qualify if they show a sublime performance at the Emirates and then hope to replicate half the effort in the next leg. But what is the guarantee of Arsenal not conceding even if they score two or three in the first leg? What is the promise Arsenal fans can have that they can stop Munich from scoring? The guardhouse of Gooners – Szczesny. Though he has had an average season, he can take inspiration from David de Gea and Victor Valdes. De Gea and Valdes started this season with the tag of “Two worst keepers at big clubs” after displaying ordinary skills with the gloves. However, it took them just one match to find great form and be at their best. Szczesny needs to save the German bullets not once, not twice but as many as seven to ten times. He is the one who can give the forwards immense confidence with great keeping.
1. Arsene Wenger: Beware of The French Tactician
The man who has been responsible for Arsenal staying in top 4 in England since a long time. The manager who has assembled a strong team despite the departure of world class players regularly. You can mock him now and say that his time is over, but do not forget that “Form is temporary, Class is permanent”. Bayern Munich, their fans, experts and various journalists could have written Arsenal completely off for this fixture if the famous club was being managed currently by anyone else. But the job is still left at the hands of the Frenchman. He has one last chance to prove everything and turn things in his favour.
The above mentioned 5 factors, if executed properly, will guarantee Arsenal a victory over Bayern Munich. The question here is, can it happen and can they execute it?
