Champions League: Arsenal Look To End Poor Show Against Bayern Munich
There is perhaps no team in Europe that Arsenal fans know better than Bayern Munich. In the last five seasons, the two teams have played each other on no less than eight occasions. Arsenal haven’t reached the Champions League quarterfinal stage since 2009-10 and their old foes Bayern Munich stand in the way of their progress.
Wenger needs tactical tweaks to advance in Champions League
Arsenal have always put up a good fight against Bayern Munich, and this could be their best chance yet to finally knock them out. Bayern themselves are certainly wary that Arsenal are more dangerous than they have been in the past years. Many teams have shown this season that it is possible to blunt Bayern’s front line. If Arsenal stay disciplined at the back, there is little chance of them being overrun by the once known “mighty” Bayern attack.
Bayern record better possession statistics and with Arsenal suffering from absences in the centre of the midfield, there is little chance of them outwitting the Bavarians in that zone. Instead, Arsenal must play on the break. Arsenal have pacey options in Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott. Mesut Ozil’s best form came in largely counter-attacking Germany and Real Madrid sides. To take something back to the Emirates, Arsenal must try to play on the break.
Mesut Ozil could be the key against Bayern given what he could do to unsettle Xabi Alonso in midfield.
Thomas Muller, has a habit of scoring against Arsenal, managing four goals in five previous appearances against the Gunners. Arsenal must take a reasonably aggressive back line and concentrate on remaining compact. They would probably drop deeper as the game continues, but an initial brave defensive line is the best approach.
Olivier Giroud has plenty of qualities, offering an aerial threat while also being effective at holding up the ball for midfield runners, those skills probably would not be needed here. Instead, Arsenal must concentrate on pace behind the opposition defence, something Giroud sorely lacks. Alexis Sanchez could do with a major Champions League performance.
Injuries to key players in midfield has stifled Arsenal’s good run this season. Ever since the loss of Cazorla, Arsenal have lacked control and craft in midfield. Against Hull and that too at the Emirates, Arsenal surprisingly lost the possession battle. Add to that, Ozil’s loss of form, and it’s easy to say Wenger has a midfield crisis. Against Bayern in Champions League, Arsenal will welcome Xhaka back into the team who has been serving a 4 match ban.
Injuries and inconsistency have dogged Aaron Ramsey’s campaign yet again. Ramsey’s best position may be in the central midfield, but playing him there seems to destabilise the entire Arsenal team. As much individual quality as Ramsey possesses, he doesn’t fit easily into the current Arsenal setup. With Mohamed Elneny now back from Africa Cup of Nations, Wenger has another midfield option at his disposal. Even Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain looks more suited to a role in Arsenal’s deep-lying double pivot.
Danny Welbeck has a great habit of making the players around him perform better. He’s an unselfish runner, constantly moving off the ball to provide an option for Arsenal’s midfield playmakers. The most obvious position to deploy him is on the left-hand side. That would allow Arsenal to line up with a front three of Welbeck, Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott. With that much pace and power in the front line, they would surely cause problems for Bayern at the back.
Bayern Munich need to start dominating games
Bayern Munich are lacking the fluidity they had under Pep Guardiola. But the Bavarians continue to dominate the Bundesliga, boasting a seven-point lead. Striker Thomas Muller is among the Bayern stars who have struggled to adapt. This Bayern side is not the same one which knocked Arsenal out of the competition in 2013 and 2014. Under Carlo Ancelotti, Bayern are beginning a period of change, both in personnel and in tactical terms. The names of the stars may be familiar, but this Bayern team may have a few surprises for Arsenal up their sleeve.
Arjen Robben remains as instrumental to Bayern’s cause as he has ever been.
Some of Bayern’s usual dominance does appear to have dwindled. For most of the season, they have been forced to grind out victories against lowly opposition, and they have lost some of the aura they used to have under Guardiola. Part of Bayern’s problem appears to have been in adapting to Ancelotti’s system, which is much less possession-orientated than Guardiola’s. Yet the Italian has been flexible, shifting between 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1. Bayern may look a bit clunkier now, but they are still getting the results. Many hope that Ancelotti’s calmer approach will see Bayern navigate the season a little better, and avoid the sort of heavy semi-final defeats in the Champions League they suffered under Guardiola.
Ancelotti’s shift to a more direct style has hit different players in different ways. Robert Lewandowski is certainly enjoying a bit more space in the box and a bit more service from the wings. While Arjen Robben has been back to his darting best on the right wing. Thomas Muller, on the other hand, has had a dreadful season, having scored just a single goal in the league since August. Initially isolated on the right wing, he has struggled to find his place in Ancelotti’s style.
In truth, Bayern have relied a little too heavily on the likes of Lewandowski and Robben to get them the goals this season. The Polish striker’s appetite for goals is insatiable, while both Robben and Franck Ribery are enjoying something of a revival. Given a bit more freedom to attack directly down the wings, the two star wingers’ sharp runs have once again become a hallmark of Bayern’s play. Though Ribery is still out injured, Robben will pose a major threat to Arsenal.
Picture Courtesy: ESPNFC, Reuters, Metro