INJURY: Arsenal's Bukayo Saka receives medical attention after sustaining an injury Photo by Karl-Josef HILDENBRAND / AFP via Getty Images
AN injury to Bukayo Saka dampened Arsenal’s mood as they did battle with Bayern Munich last night. The champions of Germany and England met in an eagerly anticipated fixture in the Champions League but after 90 minutes of end-to-end entertainment showcasing the quality and talent in both sides, the game ended all square at 2-2, reports the Voice of Sport from Allianz Arena.
There are now fears that the forward to could miss signifucant game time. Gunners’ boss, Mikel Arteta, said: “It’s his quad. It was early in the game, and the level of intensity his game requires is something incredible. The quality, strength and attention you need has to be at the highest level, and those things happen unfortunately. It doesn’t look good at all, but we have to wait and see.”
Right from kick-off, Arsenal were determined to press high and take possession to create opportunities in the final third and they went ahead with a lovely strike by Eberechi Eze. Bayern responded with their trademark pace on the counter as Harry Kane’s outstanding pass to Alphonso Davies ensured the home team went in level at half time.
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After the break, Bayern came out with far more intent to control the game and took the lead with a Kane penalty after Jurrien Timber handled in the area. But Arsenal – and in particular Declan Rice – had not given up and fought back for the equaliser after a well-worked goal giving the England midfielder his first away goal in the competition.
Before kick-off, Bayern Munich held a daunting record at home winning 24 of their last 31 home Champions League fixtures and losing just the once, while Arsenal had lost on their last three visits here. However, the Gunners arrived in excellent form having won 10 from 11 in all competitions.
Six-time European champions Bayern beat Arsenal 3-2 on aggregate in the 2023-24 quarterfinals but Arsenal won convincingly 3-1 in the group stage clash at the Emirates on their way to reaching the final last season.
It was an intriguing match-up with the Gunners, who have yet to concede in this competition, facing a team firing on all cylinders and who had scored 36 times in their previous ten matches.
Both teams were missing players: Bayern without Michael Olise (suspended), Jamal Musiala (injured) and key midfielder Joshua Kimmich, and Arsenal without defenders William Saliba and Piero Hincapie.
With such a deep squad at his disposal, Arteta gave starts to Jurrien Timber at right back and Bruno Guimaraes in midfield with in-form Noni Madueka on the left wing, while opposite number Vincent Kompany opted for Alphonso Davies on the left side, Josip Stanisic at left back and youngsters Tom Bischof and Aleksandar Pavlovic as the double-pivot in midfield.
Ten minutes had barely passed and Arsenal were forced into an early change when Saka injured himself after a strong run down the right side. However, this misfortune presented substitute Eze with a huge chance for invaluable game time and a chance to silence some of his recent critics.
And he made an immediate impact – just fifteen minutes after coming on, Martin Odegaard released him down the left and he fired in low to the back of the net. There was a brief delay to check whether the goal stood for offside but after a few moments it was awarded and the away fans – stuck up high in the rooftops in one section of the stadium – celebrated taking the lead.
But Bayern were always in the game and were constantly looking to attack on the break, and they equalised after 35 minutes. Kane, who was appearing for the penultimate time before the Ballon d’Or ceremony where he hopes to win the ultimate individual prize in football, rolled a brilliantly weighted pass into the path of Davies, who opened up and hit it first time right-footed into the net.
The finish was stunning, but the pass was sublime – and it was the first goal Arsenal had conceded in this competition this season.
The stats at the end of the first half showed that while Arsenal were enjoying 56% possession, it was six shots to five in favour of the home side, with both teams having twelve touches in the opponent’s box.
Both teams had early chances in the second half with Dayot Upamecano going close for Bayern while Eze almost scored his second of the game at the other end.
But the game turned when Bayern – who were attacking forward much more regularly now – were awarded a penalty when Kane’s shot on goal hit Timber’s outstretched hand. The England captain stepped up and smashed the ball to the top left corner to score in his 58th goal in the champions League overall and put his team 2-1 ahead.
Both teams made changes just before the 70-minute mark with Viktor Gyokores and Miles Lewis-Skelly replacing Kai Havertz and Guimaraes, while Lennart Karl and Luis Díaz came on for Ismael Saibari and Serge Gnabry.
Bayern were now taking control of the game and Diaz’s shot threatened to kill the game, but Raya was alert and saved well. Arsenal, who have been thrashed 5-1 twice in this intimidating arena, were suffering now and in a difficult moment of the game, having initially taken the lead but now behind – but not out.
They tried again with another final push and Rice played an excellent one-two with Gyokores in the box to open up space before driving in a right-footed shot into the far corner. The away fans who were kept quiet for so long were joyous again.
Mikel Merino replaced Odegaard in the dying minutes as both teams searched for the winner but the game ended all square which upon reflection, was a fitting result for two top teams going toe to toe in Europe’s biggest competition.
Overall, the match provided excellent entertainment for supporters and highlighted why both clubs are among Europe’s most respected teams. The encounter was played with great energy and quality, leaving fans wondering if the next meeting between these two footballing giants would be in the knockouts later this season.
Next up for Arsenal is a home fixture in the Premier League this weekend against Everton while Bayern face an away trip to Freiburg in the Bundesliga.