adminMUNICH. – Arsene Wenger is once again under pressure to end Arsenal’s Champions League soccer last-16 misery as the Gunners travel to bogey team Bayern Munich in tonight’s first leg. The match kicks-off at 9:45pm.
Bayern are riding a record 15-match home winning streak in Europe with the midweek clash marking the 11th meeting between the sides at Munich’s Allianz Arena in the Champions League.
Arsenal have suffered last-16 defeats in each of the last six seasons, losing to Bayern in both 2013 and 2014, and another early exit would further ramp up the pressure on 67-year-old Wenger to quit after 20 years in charge.
The teams know each other well, having met six times in the last four years, and Bayern thrashed the Gunners 5-1 in Munich in their previous meeting in November 2015.
Arsenal warmed up for their trip to Germany with a 2-0 win over Hull as Alexis Sanchez scored both goals to stop the rot following back-to-back league defeats to Chelsea and Watford. The Gunners are confident for the Allianz Arena leg with the return in London on March 7.
“If we put in our best performance, then we can beat Bayern as well,” Arsenal’s German defender Shkodran Mustafi told Sky.
“It’s down to us and it’s in our hands.” Arsenal beat Bayern 2-0 in Munich in 2013, but still lost the last-16 tie following a 3-1 defeat in the first leg in London as the Germans went on to win that year’s final at Wembley. – AFP.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter