Six year now Arsenal have tried and failed to get past the last 16 stage of the UEFA Champions League. After going through their yearly group stage second-place finish, Arsenal invariably draw a bigwig and crash out. While the bigwig has been drawn again, Arsenal will hope for a different result when they play Bayern Munich in the last 16 of the Champions League, starting with the first leg at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.
Ozil should sign for Bayern, says former Chelsea man
While the crash in the English Premier League has happened again this season, with that Groundhog Day feeling coming back to haunt the Arsenal fans following defeats to Watford and Chelsea in successive matches, what Arsene Wenger will want to show is that it is different this time in the Champions League.
With the Blues seemingly coasting to the title – Arsenal are 10 points behind with just 13 games remaining in the Premier League – the Champions League and the FA Cup remain the last hopes of a title this season.
What the Arsenal fans will fear the most, no doubt, will be another close, but eventually tame and all-too-predictable exit from the round of 16 stage of the Champions League.
Bayern are familiar opponents, with the German side banishing Arsenal from this very stage twice in the last few years. They also prevented Arsenal from finishing first in the group stages when the two teams were grouped together.
So, there will be very little the two teams will not know about each other. Bayern might have a different manager in Carlo Ancelotti, but they remain one of the best teams in Europe and Arsenal will need 180 minutes of perfect football to trump the Bundesliga champions, starting with the first 90 in Munich.
Arsenal will have the advantage of playing the second leg of this last 16 tie at home – Arsene Wenger's side finished first in their group this season, with Bayern only managing a second-place finish – but they need to make sure they remain in the tie by the time the Emirates leg comes calling.
Too many times in the past, the tie has been done and dusted by the first leg and that is something Arsenal cannot afford to happen again.
Their big players up front – Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott – have gone missing quite often in the big games this season, and that needs to change if the Gunners are to gun down Bayern in their own backyard.
What Arsenal will also need is a cohesive defensive performance, where every player contributes to try and stop the Bayern Munich juggernaut. What Bayern certainly do not lack is quality up front and the likes of Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi will need to be at the top of their game to ensure the goals do not come firing in, and with it rendering the second leg academic.
When to Watch Live
Bayern vs Arsenal is scheduled for a 7.45pm GMT (8.45pm CET, 2.45pm ET, 1.15am IST) start.
Live Streaming and TV information
India: TV: Ten 1 HD and Ten 2. Live Streaming: Ten Sports Live and Ditto TV.
UK: TV: BT Sport 2. Live Streaming: Watch BT Sport.
Germany: TV: Sky Sport 1. Live Streaming: Sky Go Germany.
USA: TV: Fox Sports 1. Live Streaming: Fox Soccer 2 Go.
Canada: TV: TSN. Live Streaming: TSN TV.
Australia, France, Middle East: TV: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
SouthEast Asia: TV: Eurosport. Live Streaming: Eurosport player.
China: TV: CCTV and PPTV.
