Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich: Score, Reaction from 2017 Champions League Match
Bayern Munich overcame a shaky start to the second leg of their UEFA Champions League tie with Arsenal on Tuesday, booking their quarter-final ticket with a 5-1 win. The aggregate score of the tie was 10-2.
Theo Walcott gave the home fans some faint hope in the first half, and the Gunners could have added to their lead before the break.
Laurent Koscielny gave away a soft penalty early in the second half, however, allowing Robert Lewandowski to tie things up. The Frenchman was sent off as well, opening the door for more goals. Arjen Robben, Douglas Costa and Arturo Vidal duly obliged, the Chilean scoring twice.
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As shared by Bayern's official Twitter account, the visitors fielded a very strong team, although Philipp Lahm missed out due to suspension:
Arsenal originally planned on starting Danny Welbeck at striker, but the England international suffered an injury while warming up. As shared by Bleacher Report UK, he was replaced by Olivier Giroud:
Play was halted almost immediately after the opening whistle, as fans chucked toilet paper on to the pitch in protest of the high ticket prices.
Once the match truly got underway, Bayern dominated possession, but Arsenal were the more threatening team. Granit Xhaka put in a solid shift in midfield, and the Swiss international played in Walcott, who forced Manuel Neuer into the first save of the match.
Nacho Monreal found Giroud with a cross, but the Frenchman's header missed the target by inches. Momentum was with the Gunners, and it yielded results after just 20 minutes, as Walcott cut through the defence with a great run before firing a hard shot past Neuer.
As sports writer Andrew Gibney pointed out, the Germans could have done a far better job defensively:
David Ospina cleared a ball ahead of Lewandowski, who tried to hit back on the counter. But Bayern never really got going in the first half, and the Gunners kept pushing in an attempt to complete their improbable comeback.
The home fans were furious when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain clashed with Xabi Alonso inside the box, but replays showed the Spaniard's challenge was on the ball, and a penalty would have been the wrong decision.
Walcott blasted a shot into the side netting and Giroud fired well over the bar, before David Alaba and Walcott were both booked after a clash. Robben played in Lewandowski and the Poland international perhaps should have scored, but his volley was off target.
The final chance fell to Alexis Sanchez, who fired a free-kick straight at Neuer. Huw Bonello of MailSport summed up the first half like this:
Arsenal kept pushing at the start of the second half, and Giroud missed a good chance after just minutes, heading over.
Their momentum soon evaporated, however. Koscielny dragged down Lewandowski, and the assistant made his case to the official, who promptly awarded a penalty and sent off the France international.
ESPN FC's Mark Ogden didn't understand:
Lewandowski didn't care one bit, converting the spot-kick to all but end the tie.
The Gunners lost their heads at this point. Oxlade-Chamberlain was booked for tripping Rafinha after the defender pushed him off the ball, turning his anger on the official.
Bayern were in cruise control, and chances came fast. Lewandowski lofted a header over the bar, and the Pole drew a fine save from Ospina minutes later.
A second goal seemed inevitable, and Robben took full advantage of a poor clearance from Ospina, beating Sanchez to the ball and converting.
Gunners manager Arsene Wenger introduced Francis Coquelin, Mesut Ozil and Lucas Perez, but the tie was well and truly over.
Costa added to the scoreline and Vidal joined in on the fun shortly after, prompting this tweet from Bleacher Report's Nick Akerman:
Vidal wasn't finished yet, depositing the ball in an empty net to make it 5-1.
As shared by Rob Harris of the Associated Press, Wenger still blamed the official for the loss, despite the one-sided scoreline:
Arsenal's next outing will be the FA Cup against Lincoln City FC, while Bayern face Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.
