STAR PREVIEW: Arsenal v Bayern Munich

[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ig night of Champions League action tonight with Arsenal and Chelsea both in action.

Don’t forget to check out Star Sports prices for all the matches by calling the office.

I’m most interested in the clash at the Emirates between Arsenal and the five-time winners Bayern Munich.

As the head to head stats below show, Bayern won 3-1 here in 2013 and 2-0 in 2014 and are favourites with Star Sports to complete the hat-trick against an Arsenal side who have lost their first two Group matches against Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos.

Arsenal clearly will need to come out fighting and the first 30 minutes could be absolutely crucial. Bayern boss Pep Guardiola said: “I can imagine my team with zero points and playing in Germany against Arsenal. I can imagine the mentality of my team – we would be an animal because it is our last chance, you give everything, and that will happen with Arsenal.”

Petr Cech will start his first Champions League game for the Gunners – he had been overlooked in favour of David Ospina who picked for the Olympiakos game.

They will also have the services again of Gabriel and Olivier Giroud who return after illness and suspension respectively.

The big threat for Arsenal will clearly be Bayern’s striker Robert Lewandowski who has scored an astonishing 15 goals from his last seven games for his club and Poland.

Arsene Wenger said: “The best way to combat him is for us to have the ball, and after that you have to be shrewd with him. Inside the box he is outstanding, because of his technique, his finishing, his movement. That is where we need the experience of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny to deal with that because that will be one of the important things on the night.”

Arsenal v Bayern Munich
UEFA Champions League Group Stage
19:45 BT Sport Europe / BT Sport Europe HD / BT Sport Ultra HD

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD
(Maximum 10 matches)
Mar 2014 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE B Munich 1-1 Arsenal
Feb 2014 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Arsenal 0-2 B Munich
Mar 2013 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE B Munich 0-2 Arsenal
Feb 2013 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Arsenal 1-3 B Munich
Mar 2005 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Arsenal 1-0 B Munich
Feb 2005 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE B Munich 3-1 Arsenal
Mar 2001 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE B Munich 1-0 Arsenal
Dec 2000 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Arsenal 2-2 B Munich

Whilst Champions League games normally tempt me more towards under 2.5 goals than over – with this game I think it could be different. Arsenal have to make something happen and Bayern are scoring goals for fun (37 goals in 11 match winning run) so I am going to have an interest at OVER 3.5 GOALS at around 7/4 with Star Sports.

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BACK ‘OVER 3.5 GOALS’ for 12 points at 7/4 with Star Sports

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