Bayern Munich beat Arsenal 1-0 in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals and reached the semi-final. At the Allianz Arena, after a 2-2 draw in the first leg, the match was balanced in the first half and then heated up in the second half, with Kimmich which unlocks her head on al 63′ after the English defense slept, then Tuchel closed with targeted defensive choices and Neuer lowered the shutters, denying the English an equalizer until the end. A success that gives the semi-final to the Bavarians who they will face Real Madrid.
THE MATCH
Tuchel has to do without the suspended Alphonso Davies and in his place sends Mazraoui onto the field with Sané-Musiala-Guerreiro behind Kane. Arteta chooses the former Bologna Tomiyasu in a three-way vote with Zinchenko and Kiwior, while in attack it is once again Martinelli who gets the better of Gabriel Jesus. The first half was stingy with opportunities, with the Bavarians and Gunners studying each other from the first minute in search of the right spaces to do damage. But what emerged was 45 minutes of attention and meticulous ball possession, with few conclusions and with the goalkeepers having few thoughts. The first to become truly dangerous was Mazraoui in the 23rd minute, taking advantage of a ball from Guerreiro on the left, with the conclusion finishing just wide. Then Musiala from outside forces Raya into overtime, with the Spaniard keeping the score at 0-0. On the other hand, it was Neuer who gave the photographers a few shots of Odegaard’s shot from outside, with the two captains trying to get hurt, but with the goalkeeper bringing down the shutter with a save in two stages. He then repeats himself on Martinelli a few minutes later, with a central conclusion and easy prey for the German. Bayern who with Sané tried to increase the revs, but without succeeding, concluding the first half in a more than fair situation of parity.
Second half that starts without any changes in formation on one side or the other. And Bayern returns more aggressively, immediately coming close to taking the lead with Goretzka, but the German’s header hits the post, then on the rebound it is Guerreiro who is unlucky, with Saliba’s deflection on his conclusion which hits the post again to Raya potentially beaten. The Gunners’ defense risks an omelette in the 57th minute with Gabriel, with the Brazilian defender more concerned with keeping Kane at a distance rather than looking at where Raya is placed, with his back pass that almost turns into an own goal. Arsenal, however, can do nothing to stop
Kimmich gives Bayern the lead in the 63rd minute: Sané crosses to the center and Raya clears it, Guerreiro picks up the ball and raises his head and puts it in the center for the onrushing Kimmich who slips between Martinelli and Rice, beating an innocent Raya with his head. Deep sleep for the Gunners who forget about the Bavarians’ number 6, leaving him undisturbed in the penalty area. Bayern who are not satisfied and continue to push to close it, but Arsenal who recompose themselves and try to be aggressive to find an equaliser. Tuchel understands this and takes action by recalling Mazraoui and securing the defensive line with a pure defender like the former Napoli player Kim. But there is no shortage of chills, because the Gunners don’t want to know about leaving the Champions League. However, they had to surrender to Neuer, because the German goalkeeper conceded little and Odegaard knew something about it, crashing into the shutter in the 88th minute. And after 4 minutes of injury time the party starts at the Allianz Arena, while Arsenal leave the pitch with their heads down and their dreams of glory of progressing to the Champions League.
REPORT CARDS
Neuer 6,5 – The usual Manuel, in goal and out. His presence between the posts is a guarantee, with interventions that save his players from the Gunners’ incursions, but even outside the posts he is precise and attentive.
Kimmich 7 – Attentive and precise in the defensive phase, lethal in the offensive phase at the first ball. A goal sought with a remarkable incursion from a player who knew how to read the situation by making the most of the opponents’ first big sleep in defence.
It’s 6.5 – Every acceleration is an appeal to the gods for Tomiyasu, with the German punctually leaving him on the spot.
Kane 5,5 – Special observer of the English defense, he is stamped by Saliba and Gabriel who don’t leave him much room for maneuver. With his movements and cuts he also leads his teammates to make mistakes.
Tomiyasu 5,5 – After Kiwior’s performance to be reviewed in the first leg, Arteta relies on the former Bologna player who however is unable to live up to the challenge with Sané. He suffers a lot from attacks, then in the offensive phase he is unable to give that little bit more that the coach asked of him.
Jorginho 5.5 – A little too cumbersome and slow in building the game, with the Bavarians’ midfield having an easy time.
Odegaard 6 – He tries and Neuer blocks him, he tries again and Neuer blocks him. In short, the best on the pitch among them, a driving force like a true captain, but not enough to hurt Bayern.
THE SCORESHEET
BAYERN MONACO-ARSENAL 1-0 (andata 2-2)
Bayern Monaco (4-2-3-1): Neuer 6,5; Kimmich 7, De Ligt 6,5, Dier 6, Mazraoui 6,5 (31′ st Kim sv); Laimer 6,5, Goretzka 6,5; Sané 6,5 (43′ st Upamecano sv), Musiala 6,5, Guerreiro 6,5; Kane 5,5.
Available: Peretz, Ulreich, Choupo-Moting, Zaragoza, Muller, Tel, Pavlovic.
Trainer: Tuchel 6.5
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya 6; White 6, Saliba 6, Gabriel 6, Tomiyasu 5,5 (41′ st Nketiah sv); Rice 6, Jorginho 5,5 (23′ st Gabriel Jesus 5,5), Odegaard 6, Saka 6, Martinelli 5,5 (23′ st Trossard 5,5), Havertz 5,5.
Available: Ramsdale, Hein, Partey, Smith Rowe, Kiwior, Fabio Vieira, Nelson, Elneny, Zinchenko.
Trainer: Arteta 5,5
Referee: Makkelie (Olanda)
Markers: 18′ st Kimmich (B)
Warned: Laimer (B), White (A), Kimmich (B), Gabriel Jesus (A)
Expelled: –
Note: –
THE OPTA STATISTICS
In the last 15 seasons, i.e. since 2009/10, only Real Madrid (11 – match still ongoing) has reached the Champions League semi-finals more times than Bayern Munich (nine thanks to tonight’s qualification, the first since 2019/20 , with the Germans finally managing to take home the trophy). Thomas Tuchel is the fifth coach capable of qualifying for the Champions League semi-finals at the helm of at least three different teams (Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea), after Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola, Louis Van Gaal (all with three) and José Mourinho (four). Arsenal are the first English team eliminated by a German team in the knockout phase of the Champions League since Chelsea in 2019/20, again in the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich – since then no less than six meetings, always results favorable to the Anglo-Saxon teams. Arsenal have failed to score in two of the four Champions League matches played in 2024, after going on a run of 15 consecutive matches with at least one goal in the tournament between March 2016 and December 2023. Bayern Munich have conceded more than five first-half shots at the Allianz Arena in a Champions League knockout match for the first time since April 2017 (six tonight – seven against Real Madrid in that case, also in the quarter-finals). Bayern Munich is the team in the big five European leagues that has scored the most headed goals this season, across all competitions: 22, including one through Joshua Kimmich tonight and overall three in the last two Champions League matches played at home. Five of Joshua Kimmich’s last seven Champions League goals have come in the knockout stages of the tournament (three in the quarter-finals, two in the semi-finals). Manuel Neuer (58) has single-handedly become the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets in the history of the Champions League, surpassing Iker Casillas (57). Manuel Neuer made his 23rd start in the Champions League quarter-finals, more than any other player in the competition’s history and just six fewer than the combined total of Arsenal’s opponents starting this evening (29 – 18 before the match).