CHAMPIONS’ LEAGUE
QUARTER FINAL, RETURN
BAYERN MUNICH (Germany)-ARSENAL (England) 1-0 (0-0)
München, Allianz Arena, 75 000 viewer. Led by: Makkelie (Holland)
BAYERN: Neuer – Kimmich, Dier, De Ligt, Mazraui (Kim Min Dzse, 76th) – Laimer, Goretzka – L. Sané (Upamecano, 89th), Musiala, R. Guerreiro – Kane. Head coach: Thomas Tuchel
ARSENAL: Raya – B. White, Gabriel, Saliba, Tomijaszu (Nketiah, 86.) – Ödegaard, Jorginho (Gabriel Jesus, 68.), Rice – Saka, Havertz, Martinelli (Trossard, 68.). Manager: Mikel Arteta
Scorer: Kimmich (63.)
Passed on: a Bayern Munich, 3-2 on aggregate
English fans could feel at home on Wednesday night – torrential rain drenched Munich three or four hours before the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, so those who arrived by subway to the Allianz Arena got terribly wet. Scarves, hats, gloves, overcoats – last week here too, everyone was walking around in shorts, compared to that, it was freezing in the second leg.
Today, it is not surprising that guests in Arsenal uniforms can walk comfortably among the fans in Bayern jerseys, there is no sign of tension or trouble, and it is also the fashion of the new age that most people take photos with their mobile phones and send them to their friends: here I’m at the game! The Hungarian fans were happy to see that after the assembly, the crew members were also introduced on the projector, so they gave a huge smile to those in the stadium Zsolt Lőwsecond coach of Bayern Munich.
The players of the two teams walked onto the field in a crazy mood, and the pyrotechnic display of the Bavarian fans was accompanied by so much smoke that the Puskás Arena would be closed for years… In addition, this smoke stuck under the roof of the stadium for many minutes, so those who sat in the sectors on the third floor, they could see almost nothing from the first period of the match.
The match started at a good pace, and it was immediately apparent that the hosts were trying to keep Bukayo Saka under double custody, while the Londoners naturally paid special attention to the former Tottenham player they know so well, Harry Kane. It was a bit surprising that when the visitors aggressively attacked the defenders of the German team, the Becks made such childish mistakes that even third-tier teams are not used to, but even though Arsenal occasionally won the ball in Bayern’s half, they could not create a big breakthrough. Rather, the Germans appeared to be more dangerous in the first half, but a really big situation did not develop in front of either goal for a long time.
Bayern spun the beginning of the second half, the fans were already calling for a goal when Leon Goretzka headed, but it only hit the bar, Raphaël Guerreiro came to the rebound, shot, from Raya’s foot to the post, and from there the ball went into the corner. The home team’s momentum waned, Arsenal got in front of the Munich goal more and more often and faster, but just like on the other side, there was a lack of unexpected movements, tricks to create a big situation – soft arcing into the center is of little value against a condensing defense.
Then suddenly the audience started going wild: in the 63rd minute, Guerreiro made a nice pass from the left side, the right-back Joshua Kimmich burst into the center with brilliant situational awareness and headed strongly into the goal from five and a half. And that was enough for the Bavarian celebration (1–0), the favorites advanced with a score of 3−2, and for the first time since 2020 they can play in the semi-finals in the BL.
Kimmich’s (center, on the ground) header found its way into Arsenal’s goal (Photo: AFP)
