Bayern Munich host Arsenal on Wednesday 15th in the 1st leg of the Champions League round of 16. The Reds and the Gunners face one another for the 4th time in the last five seasons in this competition. Bayern have eliminated Arsenal in their three previous Champions League knock-out fixtures, all in the round of 16. In recent years the 1st knockout stage has been unlucky for the Gunners, who have been knocked out at this stage in all of the six previous occasions.
Bayern are currently heading towards another domestic title; they currently sit in 1st place in the standing after 20 rounds, 7 points above newcomers Leipzig. The German Bundesliga is extremely challenging this term, with no easy games, and Bayern are having to work hard in every match to win points. In the Champions League, Bayern finished 2nd in the group stage, losing twice (0-1 vs. Atletico Madrid and 2-3 vs. FK Rostov). In the past five seasons, Bayern have reached at least the semi-finals. They hold the record for the longest winning run at home (15 wins, 53 goals scored and just 8 goals conceded). They face a tough game with Arsenal so they will need to step-up their game in order to avoid a possible upset. Their captain, Philipp Lahm, also recently announced that he will be retiring at the end of this season.
After some brilliant teamwork, Arsenal finished 1st in their Champions League group. Their hope was to play against an easier team in the 1st knockout stage, but the draw has been unkind and once again they will have to face Bayern. After two losses in a row, they bounced back and won their home fixture against Hull City at the weekend and they currently sit in 3rd place in the Premier League standings, ten points behind leaders Chelsea. Therefore the Champions League and the FA Cup represent their best chance of winning silverware this season. With mounting pressure from the fans who feel that they should be challenging for honors, there are rumors that this may be Arsene Wenger’s last season at the club. Added to this, fear of losing their two key players (Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil) recently forced Arsenal to hand them both new contracts. Their fate is in their hands and if they will play at their highest potential they can qualify from this double leg.
We are expecting a tense match between these two major European clubs. Both teams have been inconsistent this season, but we are sure that they will up their game given the importance of this competition. Bayern will try to maintain possession and attack down the wings to open Arsenal’s defense, but they will need to be careful at the back knowing that the Gunners are strong on the break. Given the shape of both sides, we are avoiding the winners market and looking elsewhere for the best value bet. Best pick for this match is Both teams to score at 1.8 with Betfair.
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