Champions League Wednesday
posted by The Blue Devil @ 2:24 PM
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
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39 Comments:
Afternoon, chaps - after last night’s excitement in Paris, with PSG dismantling Barca 4-0, the focus turns to Munich’s Allianz Arena, where Arsenal are ready to embark on the first leg of what has in recent years become a traditional exit from the Champions League in the first knockout stages. We have been here before, many times: these two teams have met 10 times in Champions League history and Bayern Munich have knocked Arsene Wenger’s team out at this stage in 2005, and more recently in 2013 and 2014.
The teams gathering in the tunnel at the Allianz Stadium right about now:
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer, Lahm, Javi Martinez, Hummels, Alaba, Alonso, Thiago, Vidal, Robben, Douglas Costa, Lewandowski.
Subs: Ulreich, Rafinha, Bernat, Muller, Coman, Kimmich, Renato Sanches.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Ospina, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Gibbs, Coquelin, Xhaka, Iwobi, Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez.
Subs: Cech, Gabriel, Giroud, Walcott, Monreal, Welbeck, Elneny.
Referee: Milorad Mazic (Serbia)
Bayern midfielder Franck Ribery and central defender Jerome Boateng have been forced to sit this one out with injuries. Carlo Ancelotti was hoping they’d be fit, but neither player has recovered in time.
Arsenal get us underway - their chief goal tonight is not to get overrun and to stay in the tie.
Arsenal seem to have started with a high pressing - dare I say gegenpressen - style. Risky!
First real shot in anger - Vidal struggles his way clear for a shot that Ospina handles well.
GOAL! Robben opens the scoring for Bayern.
Far too much space for Bayern to knock it about for fun in midfield there. It ends up with Robben who makes no mistake. Wenger wont' be happy.
1-0 Bayern!
I can't believe that defenders at this level still allow Robben to do that. All you have to do is roll out the red carpet for him to head down the wing. He doesn't actually like to dribble past players - he prefers to just drift into the space that's allowed him until he finds the right spot to hit a left-footed shot.
First time that Alexis has got going and Hummels has to push him over - he gets a yellow for it.
Nice free kick chance now for the Arsenal.
Oh - Ozil put it on target and Neuer bobbled it badly. Someone should have been right there to tap home. Shame.
Penalty to Arsenal!!
What a chance now for Arsenal as Lewandowski gives away a pen!
GOAL! Sanchez steps up and his initial effort is poor and saved by Neuer but he keeps his cool, collects it and finishes it on the volley.
1-1!
That goal may well save the tie for the Arsenal - a priceless away goal for the Gunners!
Alexis picks up a yellow now as Martinez goes down too easily after a routine challenge.
Bayern are claiming a pen now but nothing doing - corner.
Oh - Lewandowski misses a golden chance there. Long ball to the back post knocked back and he only had to keep his header down.
Coming down to the last five minutes and Arsenal have to be pleased as punch by this first half display. They haven't been overrun. They've snuffed out a lot of Bayern's big threats and have scored a precious away goal.
Oh - danger there for Arsenal. The free kick was bent into a great area and Hummels couldn't just direct it on goal.
Arsenal can't wait to get into the dressing room right - that cuppa will taste especially sweet.
Oh - great chance for Ozil there but Neuer did well to keep him out.
And there's half-time. Great half for the Gunners in the end, but it started predictably with an Arjen Robben goal that threatened to have the floodgates opening.
1-1 at the interval.
After a poor start, when it looked like they might be over-run, Arsenal have grown into this game. They’ve had five shots on target compared to Bayern’s three and they’re looking reasonably confident.
Back after the half-time break now and Arsenal are back at it - good start.
Koz has got a problem now and is going to need to come off now.
GOAL! Lewandowski has put Bayern back in front just when Arsenal were coming back into it.
Great ball over from Lahm who had been fed by Robben and Lewandowski rose high above Mustafi to nod home past Ospina who was in no man's land a bit.
Gabriel has come on to replace Koz. Wenger will need to think of more changes now that the match's complexion has changed. One more Bayern goal might be a bridge too far for the Gunners.
GOAL! Oh dear - Bayern has turned this tie on its head. Thiago scores the third.
Breathtaking stuff from Bayern there, especially that flick by Lewandowski, to get Thiago in for a neat finish.
3-1 Bayern.
Free kick chance now for Arsenal. They need to get back into this one quickly.
Arsenal are in danger of being turned over now - Lahm again crosses to Lewandowski.
Granit Xhaka picks up a yellow for a late one.
Oh - nearly a fourth goal there. Lewandowski rounded Ospina and then chipped onto the bar. Then Robben's effort is blocked out for a corner. Robben's claiming a handball. I don't buy it.
Oh - Martinez heads toward goal and it's a magnificent save from Ospina. Wow!
GOAL! Thiago scores again from a drive at the top of the box. It almost seemed as if Ospina dove in the wrong direct there.
On the replay, it was deflected in.
4-1 Bayern. And this tie might be over.
Wenger is staring down another Round of 16 knock out round exit.
This one is just about done, so I'm off home. Cheerio, chaps!
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