Five things Bayern Munich need to do against Arsenal
Bayern Munich are all set for their showdown against Arsenal in London, as part of the first leg of the fixture between these two sides in the first knockout round of the Champions League this season. Having been incredibly dominant in all competitions thus far in the season, they will be confident about their chances of making it one step further than they did last time around in this competition, where they lost out to Chelsea in the final. They will have been given a stern reminder by Jupp Heynckes, however, that they need to take it one game at a time, and will be fully focused on winning this away fixture against the Gunners. Here are five things that may help them in that quest.
Jack Wilshere, over the past few weeks, has been key to Arsenal’s creative process, both with his intelligent passing, and ability to dribble his way through tight situations. So good have his performances been that the early season contributions of Cazorla have all but taken a backstage in the light of this new hero. Thus, it is vital for Bayern to stop him, and with Javi Martinez and Schweinsteiger on his case, the English starlet will have to produce something incredibly special to make an impact on the game.
From a statistical point of view, it might be labelled positively silly to bench Mandzukic, with the kind of form he has been in lately. However, going by the style of play, Mario Gomez’s height and power are likely to be slightly more effective against an Arsenal side who have struggled to deal with set-pieces this season, especially with tall opposition strikers in their box. Additionally, Gomez is no slouch with the ball at his feet either, and was rested at the weekend while Mandzukic played, meaning that the German is a slight favourite to start anyway.
Yes, it’s true that Franck Ribery plays on the left wing, and also that he has the second highest number of league assists this season for the German outfit, with 7. However, it is important to remember that Walcott plays on the right wing for Arsenal, and is likely to beat even the speedy Alaba for pace, especially if the left back joins Ribery in attack. Instead, focusing attacks through the right wing brings into picture Thomas Muller, who has 9 assists to his name in the German league, and is much less likely to let Arsenal counter attack with breakneck speed. Muller’s deliveries into the box, by themselves, are reason enough to channel play through him, and putting Mario Gomez in the box could prove beneficial for Bayern.
In the Champions League final last season, to the annoyance of many viewers, and to the despair of supporters, Bayern were often guilty of being impatient with their attacks, and attempting shots at goal from distances that were reasonably comfortable for Petr Cech and co. While they have been much more effective this season than last, in that regard, Bayern would do well to maintain a fine balance between having a go at Szczesny from distance, and trying some intricate moves in and around the Arsenal box. After all, if not a lesson in that matter, what would Bayern have learnt from their game against Arsenal’s London rivals, Chelsea?
Santi Cazorla, one of the best signings of the summer, has slowly, as already mentioned, taken the backstage in Arsenal’s theatre on the pitch, largely thanks to the princely performances of Wilshere. However, the former Malaga man has been nearly as good as he was at the beginning of the season, when he garnered so much applause, meaning that Bayern cannot afford to neglect him in their efforts to contain the rest. One recent trend, which seems to be an addition of sorts to Cazorla’s play, has been his tendency to arrive in the box at an opportune moment, and get away his efforts on target, bringing much joy either directly, or in the scramble which ensues. Javi Martinez, perhaps, being the more defensive of Bayern’s two holding midfielders, could take up the responsibility to track these clever runs and prevent them from causing damage.