Arsenal vs Bayern Munich Preview & Prediction | 2023-24 UEFA Champions League | Quarter-Final
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THE FACTS
When is Arsenal vs Bayern Munich on and what time does it start? Arsenal vs Bayern Munich will take place on Tuesday 9th April, 2024 – 20:00 (UK)
Where can I get tickets for Arsenal vs Bayern Munich? Visit each club’s official website for the latest ticket information
What channel is Arsenal vs Bayern Munich on in the UK? Arsenal vs Bayern Munich will be televised live on TNT Sports in the UK
Where can I stream Arsenal vs Bayern Munich in the UK? Arsenal vs Bayern Munich can be streamed live on the discovery+
THE LOWDOWN
ARSENAL
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League table at the weekend as the Gunners put on an excellent display down on the south coast against Brighton and Hove Albion at the AMEX Stadium. Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard all scored as the Gunners ran out 3-0 winners on Saturday evening.
That means the north Londoners are in pole position to win their first league title in 20 years but there is also a justified focus on the UEFA Champions League, having reached the last eight for the first time in over a decade. They did show a lack of experience and nous in the previous round after being taken to penalties by an inferior FC Porto side.
BAYERN MUNICH
It has been a really, really poor campaign for Thomas Tuchel and Bayern Munich. It has already been announced that Tuchel will leave the club that have won 11 successive Bundesliga titles at the end of this season with Bavarians set to relinquish their grip on the German title with fairly miserable results across all competitions.
Bayern come into this one on the back of leading Heidenheim by two goals to nil at the weekend but eventually falling to a 3-2 defeat. That leaves them 15 points adrift of Bayer Leverkusen at the top-of-the-table with just six matches to go. They were knocked out by third-tier opposition in the DFB-Pokal and were also hammered in the DFL-Supercup at the start of the season.
THE TEAM NEWS
ARSENAL
Arsenal have almost a clean bill of health for this first-leg against Bayern Munich as summer signing Jurrien Timber is unavailable with his ACL injury but the Netherlands international could play again this season.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): David Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Rice, Jorginho, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
UNAVAILABLE: Timber (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
BAYERN MUNICH
Thomas Tuchel was handed a major boost on Monday as it was confirmed that Manuel Neuer, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane will be back available. They remain without right-back duo Sacha Boey and Bouna Sarr.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Kimmich, De Ligt, Dier, Davies; Laimer, Goretzka; Sane, Muller, Musiala; Kane
UNAVAILABLE: Boey (Injured), Sarr (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
THE KEY STATS
- Arsenal are through to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2009/10. On that occasion they were defeated by Barcelona (L 6-3 agg).
- Overall, this is Arsenal’s eighth European Cup/Champions League quarter-final appearance – their seventh in the Champions League era.
- Arsenal have won two of their previous seven European Cup/Champions League quarter-final ties. W 2-0 agg vs Juventus (2005/06) and W 4-1 agg vs Villarreal (2008/09).
- Arsenal have scored 349 goals in European Cup/Champions League history (including qualifying).
- Arsenal have scored 298 goals in the UEFA Champions League, group stage to final.
- Arsenal have never lost the first leg in a UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie (W2 D4).
- Arsenal have won only three of their previous 14 matches in the European Cup/Champions League quarter-finals (D5 L6).
- Overall, this is Arsenal’s 15th UEFA club competition quarter-final. They have won the three most recent ties, all in the UEFA Europa League.
- Arsenal have lost the first leg in only one of their previous 14 UEFA club competition quarter-final ties (W6 D7). That was in their very first UEFA quarter-final in the 1971/72 European Cup when they lost out 2-1 away from home against Ajax.
- Arsenal have won four and drawn one of their last six UEFA Champions League matches (W4 D1 L1).
- Arsenal have won their four UEFA Champions League home games this season, scoring 13 goals and conceding none.
- Arsenal have won seven and drawn three of their last ten UEFA competition matches at home. Since a 1-0 defeat against Olympiacos in March 2021 (UEL R16 2nd leg).
- Arsenal have kept eight clean sheets in their last nine UEFA competition matches at home.
- Arsenal have lost five of their last seven UEFA competition matches against German teams (W2).
- Arsenal have lost their last four UEFA two-legged ties against German clubs – all against Bayern. Their last success was a 6-2 aggregate victory against Werder Bremen in the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup quarter-finals (2-0 h, 4-2 a).
- Leandro Trossard has scored in three of Arsenal’s four UEFA Champions League home games this season.
- This is Bayern’s 22nd quarter-final in the UEFA Champions League era – more than any team. It is their 14th quarter-final appearance in the last 16 seasons.
- Bayern are making their 34th European Cup/Champions League quarter-final appearance.
- Bayern have lost their last three UEFA Champions League quarter-final ties and are aiming to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2019/20 when they went on to lift the trophy.
- Bayern have won six of their last eight two-legged UEFA competition ties against English clubs
- Bayern have won only three of their last 12 matches in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals (D4 L5).
- Bayern have lost the first leg in their last three UEFA Champions League quarter-final ties.
- Bayern have won seven of their previous 12 matches against Arsenal (D2 L3) – the last three all by a 5-1 scoreline, the most recent of which was away from home in the round of 16 in 2016/17.
- Bayern have won three of their last four matches away from home against Arsenal (L1).
- Bayern have lost only two of their last 13 UEFA Champions League matches against English teams (W9 D2).
- Bayern have lost only two of their last 19 UEFA Champions League matches (W14 D3).
- Thomas Müller (149 apps, GS to F) can become the 6th player to reach 150 UEFA Champions League matches, group stage to final. The only other players to reach the landmark are Cristiano Ronaldo, Casillas, Messi, Benzema and Xavi.
- Manuel Neuer has equalled Iker Casillas’s record of 57 clean sheets in the UEFA Champions League (GS to F) and can hold the record outright with a clean sheet in this match.
- Thomas Müller jointly holds the record for most appearances in the European Cup/Champions League quarter-finals with Lionel Messi – the pair have 23. The German would move out into the lead on his own with an appearance in this match.
THE PREDICTION
In the previous round, the expectation was that Arsenal would wipe the floor with a majorly underperforming Porto side but it was anything but a walk over. This time, there is a general belief that the Gunners will struggle up against a member of the European royalty in Bayern Munich. However, strip away the names of the clubs, this is arguably the best team in England with an impeccable defensive record, taking on a faltering German side that are no longer in the title race and should finish the season trophyless. Even with Harry Kane returning to north London, Arsenal should really truly believe themselves to be firm favourites on Tuesday night.
TIP: ARSENAL TO WIN
