**Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich were held to a 2-2 draw by Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal following a late strike from Declan Rice.**
Despite a nervy encounter in the early stages, it was the visitors who took the lead after early substitute Eberechi Eze found the back of the net in the 25th minute. However, it only took 10 minutes for the home side to respond when an inch-perfect pass from Harry Kane found Alphonso Davies, who levelled the score.
Kane then haunted his old rivals by completing the turnaround and making it 2-1 to Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich. With less than 10 minutes to play, Rice popped up with a thunderous strike to clinch a point for the Gunners away from home.
Tonight’s result at the Allianz Arena sees Bayern remain outside the Champions League’s top eight places in 14th, while Arsenal now sit in seventh place with seven points from a possible nine in their Champions League campaign.
Following a relatively cagey affair in the opening 20 minutes at the Allianz Arena, the hosts had the first real opportunity as Bayern broke quickly. Alphonso Davies was released down the left flank before cutting the ball back to Saibari on the edge of the box, who laid it off for Serge Gnabry, one-on-one with the visiting goalkeeper. However, David Raya brilliantly saved the German’s first-time, left-footed effort.
As the game heated up in Germany, the Gunners broke the deadlock in the 25th minute when Martin Ødegaard found Eze in behind the Bayern defence. Eze finished brilliantly into the far corner past Manuel Neuer, putting the visitors a goal to the good.
Arsenal came close to doubling their lead just four minutes later as a corner from captain Ødegaard found Bruno Guimarães all alone and unmarked at the back post, but the Brazilian couldn’t divert his volley on target.
As the clock ticked closer to half-time, Bayern managed to level the scoreline. Kane picked up the ball in the middle of the park before beautifully threading a through ball into the path of Davies on the wing. Davies showed great composure to slot home past Raya and equalise for the hosts after 35 minutes.
Almost instantly after returning from the half-time break, Arsenal nearly restored their lead after a Rice corner found Ezri Konsa, who nodded the ball down, but Neuer magnificently kept it out of the net.
Just two minutes later, it was Raya’s turn to make a sensational save after a dangerous, whipped cross from Gnabry met Upamecano at the back post. The Frenchman unleashed a thumping header towards goal, which was somehow denied by Raya’s acrobatics.
On the brink of the hour mark in Munich, Kane fired an effort from inside the 18-yard box which was blocked. However, the referee awarded the hosts a penalty after judging that the sliding Jurrien Timber had handled the ball. Kane stepped up against Raya and confidently fired home to put Kompany’s side 2-1 up at the Allianz Arena.
With just 10 minutes left of normal time, the Gunners were pushing for an equaliser, but Bayern stood firm in defence. Rice then received a pass from Victor Gyökeres, which sent him through on goal, and he clinically fired an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net to level the scoreline once again.
With the tie drawing to a close, Arsenal tested the home defence once more as Rice whipped in a corner, but the hosts remained resilient and held on to earn a 2-2 draw as both sides shared the spoils in Munich.