Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal cavalcade was extinguished against the wall of Kimmich, De Ligt, Upamecano, Dier and De Ligt, probably the best meeting of defenses in the world, accompanied by a huge Musiala. Arsenal did not live up to their reputation. Bayern did what characterized its history. Compete rigorously and rise in extreme situations. He went to the semi-final with all the law.
1
Neuer, Eric Dier, Joshua Kimmich, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui (Kim Min-Jae, min. 75), Laimer, Leon Goretzka, Raphael Guerreiro, Sane (Dayotchanculle Upamecano, min. 88), Jamal Musiala and Kane
0
David Raya, Takehiro Tomiyasu (Eddie Nketiah, min. 86), Gabriel, William Saliba, Ben White, Declan Rice, Jorginho (Gabriel Jesus, min. 67), Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martinelli (Trossard, min. 67 )
Goals 1-0 min. 63: Joshua Kimmich.
Referee Danny Makkelie
Yellow cards Laimer (min. 54), Ben White (min. 84), Joshua Kimmich (min. 91) and Gabriel Jesus (min. 92)
Arsenal approached the match with doubts and Bayern clung to the fortification script that Tuchel manages with such devotion. Apparently, the visiting team dominated. The reality was that Bayern found themselves comfortable in the jam against an opponent excessively dependent on Odegaard to launch plays towards danger. As the minutes passed, the defensive giants of both sides grew: De Ligt, Laimer, Jorginho, Rice, Magalhaes. All routes to the goal were blocked.
Arsenal did not overcome the contradiction between the need to protect themselves while attacking, and ended up playing with less conviction in passing than in defensive transitions. The double pivot Jorginho-Rice, splendid in its members, doubled functions and slowed down the circulation, although not as much as the presence of Havertz at the point of the attack. The tall German player, Arteta’s most determined bet in all instances of the club, served to pick up balls but was inconsistent in the associations that are the essential prelude to achieving the shot against one of the most impenetrable defenses. Bayern is a fortress and whoever besieges it must play a lot and very well. Havertz’s disappearances, coupled with the difficulties that Odegaard encountered in escaping the supervision of Laimer and Goretzka, created insoluble problems. Saka seemed exhausted on the right wing and only Martinelli seemed confident. The Brazilian caused confusion on the flank that Kimmich defended and thanks to Odegaard he had a shot from the penalty spot that went wide by an inch.
Arsenal lived in the opposite direction, alarmed by every Bayern counterattack. On the right, the Bavarian team threatened with Sané. On the left, Tuchel had the good sense to insert Guerreiro as an interior, a link between Kane and Musiala in countless actions. The young Musiala was establishing himself as the most unbalancing factor on the field. If Arsenal failed to overcome Bayern’s pressure, Musiala overcame Jorginho’s resistance and began to move in support and drives that took him to all corners of the field. Raya took a shot at him in the first half and late in the second half he caused the disorder that led to Guerreiro’s pass and the header with which Kimmich opened the scoring.
Stubborn until the inexorable end, Arteta kept Havertz on the field. Tuchel injected concrete: Kim for Mazraoui and Upamecano for Sané. Up to four centre-backs stood between the goal and Arsenal’s faltering contribution, as inconsistent against Bayern in the quarterfinals as against Porto in the round of 16, justly eliminated in Munich.
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