Arsenal might not be in the Champions League this season, but two of their academy graduates were named in the squad for a heavyweight clash last night.
Bayern Munich welcomed Barcelona to the Allianz Arena in the second gameweek of Europe’s elite competition.
Serge Gnabry began his career at Arsenal before sealing an £8 million departure.
More recently, Hector Bellerin, another one who joined the Gunners as a teenager under Arsene Wenger before rising through the ranks, left North London to join the Camp Nou outfit on a free transfer.
Bellerin and Gnabry played alongside each other at the Emirates Stadium and although they never faced one another in Munich last night, a heartwarming pre-match exchange demonstrated the mutual affection.
Pre-match photographs circulated on Twitter of the Germany international and his Spanish friend sharing an embrace:
Xavi’s side lost the game 2-0 to Bayern.
Gnabry – labelled ‘world class‘ by Rio Ferdinand in 2020 – got a 10-minute cameo by replacing Sadio Mane toward the end, but Bellerin failed to make it off the bench.
Arsenal haven’t participated in the Champions League since the 2016-17 campaign but it’ll still have pleased Wenger to see two of his former players still in the squad for massive encounters in Europe such as this.
Hopefully for the Gunners – who sit top of the Premier League table – they can re-take their place among Europe’s elite in time for next season.
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