The UEFA Champions League returns this week and for the second European fixture in a row, Arsenal take on German champions Bayern Munich. The Bavarians were left shocked after they struggled to break down the Gunners’ resilient defence at the Emirates and will be looking for revenge on their own soil. Arsenal, however, have a fairly good record at the Allianz Arena and will be hoping that this can see them claim at least one point against Pep Guardiola’s side to give them a chance of progressing from their group.
When the Germans came to play against the Gunners a few weeks ago, the north London side at first seemed baffled by the skill and trickery of Douglas Costa. The 25-year-old Brazilian has been a revelation since joining Munich from Shakhtar Donetsk last summer. Costa may have only scored three times in 16 appearances, however, it is his creative flair and knack of successfully taking on defenders that have won him plaudits this season. He is the typical skilful Brazilian: excellent close-quarter control and almost unparalleled dribbling.
When Munich came to play Arsenal last time, this man was left out of the analysis of the opposition, choosing to look at Thomas Muller instead. Even though Munich didn’t score at the Emirates, Costa kept Bellerin busy all evening. On the day, he didn’t manage to set up any goals, but it wasn’t for the want of trying. Stopping this man will be crucial for Arsenal if they want to win at the Allianz. To do this, the full-backs must not allow him the opportunity to cut inside of them. At all times, they must force him out wide and from there prevent any crosses being launched. Also, the supporting centre back must also be aware of the threat that Costa may pose and so offer an extra line of defence behind the full-backs. That way, if Costa skips past one player, then another is there to clean up the mess.
The other player that the Gunners must be wary of, again, is Robert Lewandowski. The big Pole was the most in-form player coming into the last fixture but was kept at bay by the Arsenal defence. Arsene Wenger’s side must do the same again if they want to win at the Allianz. At present, Lewandowski is the joint-top goalscorer in the Bundesliga and is clearly a threat for Petr Cech to be wary of. However, he struggles when he isn’t provided with clear opportunities. Arsenal were very effective at closing down the Polish international and cutting out any potential passes heading his way. Now, seeing as Munich will be at home, it obviously won’t be as easy to nullify Lewandowski, however, if the Gunners maintain their rigid defensive formation and prevent any passes or crosses from coming in, then Munich and Lewandowski will be confined to long shots and half-chances, thereby giving Petr Cech a much easier time.
Going forward, the Gunners must be more cautious than they were last week against Sheffield Wednesday. Obviously, this game is more high-profile and a much stronger team will be fielded, but the principle remains the same: they must make the most of their chances. The main criticism of Olivier Giroud is that he doesn’t finish many of the chances that he probably should, however, being the only fit striker in the side right now, Arsene Wenger will have to rely on the Frenchman to give it his all.
Arsenal will undoubtedly see much less of the ball than they would like and so when they do reclaim it, they must break quickly from their defensive formation and catch Munich on the counter. With Alexis Sanchez and Joel Campbell – who scored his first goal for the Gunners against Swansea at the weekend – in the side, they have a very good chance of punishing Munich for any momentary lapses of judgement.
This game will obviously be very tough for Arsenal. Much more so than at the Emirates and now the expectation has been set by the team that they can beat the best teams in the world and so the fans will want to see their side overcome the Germans once again. However, a draw in Munich would be a fantastic result and would set them up nicely for their remaining games against Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos. The Gunners will feel like the underdogs coming into the game, but if they play at the level that they have consistently shown this season, then there is no reason why they can’t win their second game in a row against Munich.
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