Match to be played on Tuesday March 11 2014 at 19:45 GMT. Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany.
Arsenal have a massive challenge this week if they’re going to repeat the heroics which saw them beat Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena last season.
The Gunners need a repeat of their 2-0 win against Bayern last year to force the match into extra time and the challenge will only become more difficult if they concede early on, which means they’ll be battling against away goals.
Arsene Wenger has a couple of selection dilemmas ahead of the game but he can still name a strong side. Here’s the team he may go with.
GK – Lukasz Fabianski
With Wojciech Szczesny suspended, there’s a chance for his fellow Pole to come into goal. Fabianski has done a great job whenever he’s been called on to perform so far this season.
RB – Bacary Sagna
Sagna will slot in on the right hand side of defence. It’s important he gets forward frequently to provide some extra width down the right.
CB – Per Mertesacker
The big German should relish the occasion of performing in his own country. He’s been a vital defender for the club so far this season and they need him to have a top 90 minutes.
CB – Laurent Koscielny
The Frenchman trained this morning which suggests he’s in line to start this game. We’ll know more from Arsene Wenger’s press conference this evening but it’s looking good as far as Arsenal’s best centre back pairing is concerned.
LB – Kieran Gibbs
Gibbs will inject some real pace down the left hand side. Bayern may target him for his inexperience but he’s been one of the best left-backs in the country this season.
RM – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Arsenal need as much pace in their side as possible so they can hit Bayern Munich on the counter attack. The Ox is a great player to have attacking the ball into space and he could be crucial.
DM – Mathieu Flamini
Flamini will most likely play that role in front of the back four, offering some extra protection. He’s been superb this season when it comes to snapping at the heels of opposition players and winning the ball back.
CM – Mikel Arteta
Arteta will probably play a little further forward, dropping off when the side is under real pressure. His experience will be important if the game doesn’t start as Arsenal would hope.
AM – Mesut Ozil
Ozil scored a very important goal against Everton over the weekend, which will boost his confidence. His job is to slot in behind the main striker and try to create real problems for Bayern’s back four.
LM – Santi Cazorla
Cazorla should get the nod ahead of Lukas Podolski because of the way he protects the ball. Podolski is probably a better wide man on the left but Arsenal need players who can protect possession when they have it.
ST – Olivier Giroud
Giroud was one of the players who scored in this fixture last season and he should take confidence from the performance.
image: © dh87
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