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Arsenal’s Six UCL Group Games Analyzed
Match Day 3 – London vs. Bayern Munich
According to my predictions, Arsenal and Bayern Munich will be level on points going into match day number three. While the Gunners look able to win their first two matches, it’s safe to say Bayern are capable of demolishing Dinamo and Olympiakos.
Bayern’s squad looks rejuvenated after the loss of Bastian Schweinsteiger and their new additions in their side look like they will make the European giants even stronger.
Douglas Costa is proving that he can run the show against full backs in the Bundesliga, and Arturo Vidal is a midfielder capable of running his opposite numbers into the ground with his physicality.
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This excludes the presences of Arjen Robben, Thomas Muller, and Robert Lewandowski. Robben is past 30 years old, but the flying Dutchman is still ripping defenses apart with his dribbling ability.
Muller and Lewandowski look like they are entering the prime of their careers, and based on past experience, they will be tough to stop.
The question of how to stop Bayern Munich is not very easy to answer. They have multiple threats, in each part of the pitch, that are capable of hurting you defensively.
The Arsenal forwards need to be ready to deal with the capabilities of Philipp Lahm and David Alaba on the flanks and get back on defense. A criminal mistake that the Gunners cannot afford to make is allowing the Bayern wingers to be one-on-one with Kieran Gibbs and Hector Bellerin.
Tactical Change?
The Gunners are up against one of the three best teams in Europe at the moment, and there are few weaknesses in the Bayern team to exploit. The one thing that has haunted Bayern in the past is the communication between Manuel Neuer and his center backs.
If Alexis Sanchez and one other forward player can press Boateng and either Dante or Benatia, they have a chance of disrupting the passing lanes in Bayern’s half.
When attacking, there is also a hope of catching the center backs off guard. We have seen in the past that after a run of games in the Bundesliga, the Bayern defense can be complacent against teams in Europe.
Arsenal may not have the ball too much during the game, but when they do, they should attack through the center of the pitch, instead of allowing themselves to be forced out wide. Olivier Giroud is simply not physical enough to outwork both center backs by himself.
Bayern Munich Player To Watch: Arjen Robben
Arsenal are notorious for being unable to cope with players who dribble at speed, and Robben is a perfect example of this.
Arguably, Per Mertesacker should not be playing in this game because of the likelihood that he will get rings run around him – however the Gunners are not spoiled for choice.
If Robben is fully fit, and able to run at the defense from either flank, it could be a stressful night for Wenger.
Arsenal Player To Watch: Hector Bellerin
Match day three could be one of those games that people talk about in five years time – that is, if Bellerin is able to shut down one of the Bayern Munich wingers.
However, it might also be talked about as the game Wenger realized that Bellerin was never going to be good enough for a long-term first team role.
There is no doubt Bellerin is quick enough to keep up with Costa, Robben, and Ribery. The questions lie in his ability to stay back and focus on defending, rather than constantly bombing forward.
If he is capable of balancing both, even better, but he must be very careful in how he goes about his job.
MATCH PREDICTION: Arsenal 1-2 Bayern Munich
Though I can see the game being a close affair, Die Bayern have quality in places that Arsenal don’t, and they know where Arsenal’s weaknesses lie.
If the game is not clearly going to be a Bayern win by 60 minutes, Mario Gotze could come on as a substitute and completely change the point of attack from the Germans. Thomas Muller, Franck Ribery and Xabi Alonso may also start from the bench and come on as game-changers, and that is something Arsenal cannot cope with just yet.
Next: Match Day 4 - Munich