Bayern Munich 1-0 Arsenal: Player Ratings and Match Highlights

Players Ratings

CM – Declan Rice – 6/10

The Englishman looked strong in midfield alongside Jorginho, limiting Bayern for the most part and playing an important role in defence and attack. It’s harsh to mark him down, but he ultimately ended up on the losing side.

RW – Bukayo Saka – 3/10

Struggled to make his mark on the game, managing just 18 touches in the first half, and things did not improve that much in the second. Could fatigue be catching up with the 22-year-old?

ST – Kai Havertz – 4/10

Caught offside for a chance in the first half, and failed to find someone in space with a cutback after getting an opportunity in the box. He did not come up with the goods in the second half either, and was restricted to just a handful of chances.

LW – Gabriel Martinelli – 4/10

Martinelli had the chance to break the deadlock but could only divert a cutback straight at Neuer, an opportunity where he really should have done better. Also lost Kimmich for the German’s goal.

Sub – Leandro Trossard – 4/10

Struggled to make any impact after coming on for the Gunners. Not his finest night.

Sub – Gabriel Jesus – 5/10

Had a chance to run in behind after coming on which was eventually flagged for offside. He then failed to make much of a mark, not even having a shot.

Sub – Eddie Nketiah – N/A

Brought on in the 86th minute, and did not have much of a chance to make an impact.

Man of the Match

Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)

Unfortunately, despite a strong start in the first half, we were unable to find the back of the net. Bayern Munich managed to secure a 1-0 victory at home, advancing to the semi-finals.

Joshua Kimmich’s header ultimately sealed the deal for Bayern, leaving us unable to recover from the setback.

It was a disappointing end to our return to Champions League after seven years, falling to the six-time champions.

The task was challenging. In the Champions League knockout stages, the German giants had only failed to progress from one of their previous 18 two-legged ties when avoiding defeat in the first leg.

However, the opening 45 minutes showed that we were not intimidated. It seemed that lessons were learned from the chaotic first leg, as the first 30 minutes were a stalemate with both managers ensuring their sides were defensively solid.

This led to limited chances on goal, but eventually, the game started to open up. Jamal Musiala was the first to test David Raya with a diving stop, followed by our own moments of danger.

Martin Odegaard, surrounded by Bayern defenders, took a shot from the edge of the area that spun awkwardly towards Manuel Neuer, who had to make a crucial save.

In the subsequent significant passage of play, Bukayo Saka skillfully located Gabriel Martinelli, but his shot lacked power and went straight into the hands of the goalkeeper, resulting in a missed opportunity for us in the first half.

During the first 45 minutes, we were slightly superior due to creating more scoring chances. Additionally, we had a couple of half-chances before halftime, with Kai Havertz heading a free-kick at Neuer and Ben White flicking the ball onto his right foot but unfortunately shooting over the crossbar.

However, our performance took a setback in the second half. A revitalized Bayern team came out strong and immediately posed a threat. Within a minute, they struck the woodwork twice in quick succession, sending a clear warning to our defense.

The first instance occurred when Kimmich delivered a cross into the box, which Leon Goretzka headed onto the crossbar. The ball then rebounded to Raphael Guerreiro, whose shot hit William Saliba and then the foot of the post.

Nevertheless, in the 62nd minute, Thomas Tuchel’s team managed to break through. Leroy Sane’s cross was initially saved by Raya, but Guerreiro regained possession on the opposite side of the box. He skillfully chipped the ball into a cluster of players, where Kimmich charged forward and powerfully headed it into the net, resulting in us falling behind