Bayern survived a torrid opening to Wednesday’s eventful Champions League Round of 16 first leg clash away to North London giants Arsenal, including an action-packed first half with two missed penalties and a sending-off, before dominating the second period and scoring two crucial away goals. The Gunners provided a different calibre of opposition to FCB’s recent domestic rivals, but the treble winners still had the quality to equal the current Champions League record of seven straight away wins in Europe’s elite club competition set by Ajax Amsterdam from 1995 to 1997.
The 60,000 full house at the Emirates Stadium saw the Bundesliga leaders penned back at the start of the incident-filled first half, but Manuel Neuer saved Mesut Özil’s weak early penalty. Munich slowly but surely seized the upper hand and Arsenal were reduced to ten men when keeper Wojciech Szczesny was red carded for a foul on Arjen Robben in the box, but the game remained goalless at the break due to David Alaba missing the ensuing spot-kick. Pep Guardiola’s team upped the ante after the restart and took a 54th-minute lead through Toni Kroos, but despite the visitors’ utter control of proceedings, it took until the 88th minute before sub Thomas Müller headed the second.
The result puts Bayern firmly in the driving seat for the return at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday 11 March, where the Reds could even afford a narrow defeat and still make the quarter-finals. The Bavarians now return to the bread and butter of the Bundesliga on Sunday away to Hannover.
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