CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Possible Arsenal starting XI vs. Bayern Munich in Champions League quarter-final
Mikel Arteta’s side are riding high in the Premier League and are tipped by many as ‘dark horses’ to lift the Champions League trophy.
We’ve reached crunch time in the 2023-24 Champions League as the eight best teams in Europe (with possibly the exception of Inter and Europa League teams Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen) have their sights firmly fixed on a place in the Wembley Stadium final on 1 June.
For the German side, the Champions League offers the last opportunity at a tilt at silverware after the Bavarian side were dumped out of the DFB Pokal by lowly Saarbrucken and have watched how Xabi Alonso has taken Bayer Leverkusen from relegation candidates to a team on the cusp of claiming their first ever Bundesliga title with a win this Sunday over Werder Bremen.
Recent history too is on the side of the German side with their last three meetings in the Champions League ending in 5-1 wins for Bayern as Thomas Tuchel looks to salvage his reputation in Munich by advancing to a semi-final against the winners of the Man City-Real Madrid clash.
Arsenal aim for double
With just seven games to play in the Premier League season, Mikel Arteta’s side sit on the summit as the Gunners faithful dream of a possible double of Champions League and Premier title.
This 2023-24 Arsenal are a more mature version from previous seasons with Arteta’s men have the meanest defence in the league (having only shipped 24 goals all season) and are also the most clinical in front of goal rattling in 75 goals this season to date which is the highest in the division.
Damien Rice and Martin Odegaard have the Gunners purring in midfield and with the timely return from injury for the likes of Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz. Gabriel Jesus, Thomas Partey and Fabio Vieira, the North Londoners will relish the tag of ‘outsiders’ in the title race and in Europe.
A fascinating first leg at the Allianz Arena awaits with both teams boosted by no major injury concerns as Saka returned to training with the rest of the team after missing the Brighton game.
Possible Arsenal XI: David Raya; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Jorginho, Declan Rice, Martin Ødegaard; Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesús.