Munich: Arsene Wenger is once again under pressure to end Arsenal’s Champions League last-16 misery as the Gunners travel to bogey team Bayern Munich in Wednesday’s first leg.
Bayern are riding a record 15-match home winning streak in Europe with the midweek clash marking the 11th meeting between the sides at Munich’s Allianz Arena in the Champions League.
Arsenal have suffered last-16 defeats in each of the last six seasons, losing to Bayern in both 2013 and 2014, and another early exit would further ramp up the pressure on 67-year-old Wenger to quit after 20 years in charge.
The teams know each other well, having met six times in the last four years, and Bayern thrashed the Gunners 5-1 in Munich in their previous meeting in November 2015.
Arsenal warmed up for their trip to Germany with a 2-0 win over Hull as Alexis Sanchez scored both goals to stop the rot following back-to-back league defeats to Chelsea and Watford.
The Gunners are confident for the Allianz Arena leg with the return in London on March 7.
“If we put in our best performance, then we can beat Bayern as well,” Arsenal’s German defender Shkodran Mustafi told Sky.
“It’s down to us and it’s in our hands.”
Arsenal beat Bayern 2-0 in Munich in 2013, but still lost the last-16 tie following a 3-1 defeat in the first leg in London as the Germans went on to win that year’s final at Wembley.
“We have already won there and I feel we have a chance to go through,” said Wenger.
Ozil form concerns
Midfielder Mesut Ozil, another Germany international, is enduring a dip in form, though, and has not scored since early December.
Wenger has hinted he may be dropped.
Arsenal are third in the Premier League, 10 points behind leaders Chelsea, while Bayern are seven clear in Germany’s top flight.
The Bavarians have reached the semi-final stage in Europe in each of the last three years, but Bayern are itching to go one better and reach the Cardiff final on June 3.
Despite their lead in the Bundesliga, Bayern have turned in below-par performances in recent weeks and needed two late goals to earn a 2-0 win at relegation-threatened Ingolstadt on Saturday.
Bayern can count on Xabi Alonso after the Spanish midfielder recovered from a knock that had forced him out of training on Monday.
Alonso had limped out of training with what looked to be a knee injury but was back on the pitch on Tuesday.
However, Bayern look set to be without central defender Jerome Boateng and winger Franck Ribery, both of whom trained alone after having recovering from injuries.
Germany forward Thomas Muller is enduring a goal drought with just one goal in 17 league games this term, but Robert Lewandowski has hit 23 goals in all competitions and is relishing the Arsenal showdown.
“Everyone is waiting for this game and it’ll be a big challenge for us,” said Lewandowski.
“Arsenal have very good players, but we need to concentrate on ourselves and if we play our best football, Arsenal probably won’t have many chances.
“We need to score at least once and concede nothing, then it’ll be a good evening for us.”
