Arsenal hosted German giants Bayern Munich roughly a fortnight ago, looking to get a victory which could help their cause in the return leg at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday. Instead, they suffered badly, as a ruthless Bayern swept aside an overwhelmed looking Gunners team to register a convincing 3-1 away win.
Now, with everyone expecting Bayern to simply walk into the quarter-finals with the second leg at their home, Wenger is convinced that the Gunners can still bounce back and cause an upset on the Bundesliga leaders. Wenger spoke in the Daily Mail and said, “There have been a few wins by Arsenal in the Champions League that we are all very proud of. We just have to convince ourselves that we can do it in Munich as well.”
“Yes, the chance is small, but the chance makes the impossible possible.”
“That would be a great credit for our team if we do it. We have to try to achieve it.”
“Our mentality is to go there, not resigned, but ambitious and provoke things, not go there and think “we will not qualify anyway”. No, not at all,” he said.
“We have to go there and give ourselves a chance to qualify with everybody believing we can do it.”
Arsenal will look to take inspiration from last year’s fighting display in the second leg against AC Milan. Arsenal looked down and out after their 4-0 thumping at the San Siro, however they almost caused a shock comeback after they won 3-0 in the return leg at the Emirates Stadium. Though they lost the tie 4-3 on aggregate in the end, Arsenal are convinced that the fight they showed last year can be repeated on Wednesday as well.
The Gunners are expected to go all guns blazing against Bayern as they will attempt to go through to the quarter-finals, making them the only English representative in the Champions League in the top 8, following Chelsea and Manchester City’s early elimination, and Manchester United’s controversial ousting against Real Madrid last week.
Arsenal have also had a good, long rest ahead of this game, as they last played in their narrow 2-1 loss in the North London derby last Sunday. They will have had a solid 10 days’ rest, and Wenger will hope that the recharged batteries of the Arsenal players will help their cause in the all-important clash.
Germany international and former Bayern man Lukas Podolski, who scored Arsenal’s solitary goal in the first leg, is set to return to his home country for the first time since joining Arsenal in the summer last year. He may well have a point to prove, and will be hoping to inflict some damage on his former employers.
Though the gap is big, it is still achievable even with the odds stacked against Arsenal, but there are still slim hopes, though it is a big task for Arsenal to beat Bayern at home by more than two goals. Do you think Arsenal can achieve the impossible? At least one thing should be certain – even if Arsenal go out, they will go out fighting.