I am happy with the draw. Arsenal is a good team, but there are some arguments against them: defence: Arsenals defence is badly organised, they often let in easy goals. Both goalies don't perform well and injuries can hardly be compensated. Europe-complex: Bayern is one of the best european teams ever, Arsenal, never won could win this cup. They are good in England, but choke in Europe. winter-break: Bayern has a long winter break, Arsenal not. So Bayern will definetly be fresher. Makaay vs. Henry: Without any doubt, Roy Makaay is the much more valueable player, at least in these two games. When it comes to EPL-performance, Henry is one of the best in the world, but on international level he is at most good-average. Makaay is even more dangerous in the CL than in the Bundesliga. He already scored 7 goals. So im quiet optimistic, Chelsea or Milan would have been harder opponents.
How many games did the mighty Gunners win in the group stage? 2? How dominant! It seems to me that Arsenal in England and Arsenal in Europe are two different teams.
??? really, smart a** , why don’t you go to the Arsenal forum to discuss with your amigos what excuses to make up, after another early exit from CL
all you have to do is go..... hahahahahaahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ahhahaaaahahahahahaahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ....... ....... ...... .....hahahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha .................................. . ... .. . Folks---It should be a great set of matches. Arsenal may look better on paper, but they have looked great on paper for the last 3 years in the CL and they have always fallen. I like Arsenal a lot, but please don't start talking out your arse about the quality of Bayern
Coming from a team that has disappeared off the face of the earth for the last 2/3 seasons, that is a bit rich. This will be a tough tie. Simple as, end of. All the mocking going on in this thread is completely baseless. Bayern are always tough but our record against German teams isn't exactly terrible. We smashed the Bayer Leverkusen team that got to the CL final that season with Ballack & Ze Roberto 4-1 at Highbury. We've also beaten Dortmund, Werder Bremen and Schalke in recent memory. Our last match against Bayern was a 1-0 loss in Munich, however the first match at Highbury (which Arsenal went 2-0 up, only to draw 2-2) showed that Arsenal can do real damage to Bayern's aspirations providing we can keep concentration at the key moments. Something we failed to do in that match. My biggest worry about Bayern is their aerial prowess. Ballack, Makaay, Pizzaro, Santa Cruz, etc, are all lethal in the air.
im glad about this draw guys... if brazzo can do his job at LB, we'll be absolutely fine... thats my biggest worry... about kahn - well kahn is simply one of the best goalkeepers ive seen this generation - and he will no doubt raise his game for this tie... arsenals biggest strengths are their 'wingers' or wide players - thats where most of their attacks come from - along the ground... as i said, brazzo or the LB is going to be the key - i would prefer rau playing, to be honest... whoever plays at RB should do fine - we have some very good options there, and its very likely that we will have a fit anf hungry sagnol by then... i think our midfield is one of the best in the world, but arsenal fans would claim similarly... i dont like viera cos of the physical nature of his game, but this is europe and hes not going to get away with some of the stuff he does in the premiership... ballck schweini frings hargreaves scholl - whoever plays in CM could really sway the game... the wingers duel is going to be fascinating - i think we have the edge in the sense that their wingers dont like to defend much and ours really like to battle it out... especially if they lose the ball... for all the talk about makaay and henry, i really think its going to be pizarro making his mark on this game (if fit)... he is a strong forward and makaay is the type who can get shaken off the ball easily and that will be a liability against the physical arsenal defense... with the focus on makaay, pizarro and ballack should find themselves in some good positions, and ballacks finishing is clinical, while pizarros can be spectacular... i think lucio is just the type of forward to deal with henry... i dont think much of reyes and i feel our best pairing would be kuffour and lucio.... i dont want to make any predictions as the game is months away, but i do fancy our chances - i said right in the beginning - chelsea is the hardest tie, while arsenal is hte easiest... i wanted either of these two sides, and im glad we got arsenal... lets hope magath can keep bayerns concentration and form going after the winter break... Importantly - i think all 3 german sides have a good chance of advancing - that would be spectacular... bremen vs lyon is going to be a great match with two teams similar in style and mentality...
Yes, whilst we have never made it past the quarterfinals we still have played and won "big games." Big games (as you put it) are not only confined to the later stages. It must be hard (as a Spurs fan) looking from the outside in...eh?
Official word: Champions League draw Bayern face Arsenal in first knockout round 17.12.2004 "I'd prefer us to avoid the Italians," chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge remarked ahead of the draw for the Champions League first knockout round. "Maybe Arsenal," he continued, "we did well against them in 2001." The Munich chief should be a satisfied man following Friday's events at UEFA's Swiss headquarters in Nyon as the names of the Bavarians and the North Londoners came out of the hat together as the final pairing in a fascinating set of fixtures. "Arsenal versus Bayern is a meeting of two teams capable of winning the Champions League. It'll be very tight. We'll have to come away from the first leg in Munich with an advantage," Bayern coach Felix Magath declared. The Reds met the reigning English champions at the second group stage of the 2000-2001 competition. Ottmar Hitzfeld's men battled back from two goals down to leave London with a 2-2 draw thanks to Michael Tarnat and Mehmet Scholl, before a Giovane Elber goal handed Munich a 1-0 home win in the return. Bayern went on to beat Valencia on penalties in Milan and claim the trophy. "That's a good omen," Rummenigge stated, rating his team's chances as fifty-fifty. "It's an incredible draw," declared striker Roy Makaay. "It won't be easy, but we should make the quarter-finals. Bayern enjoy playing English teams." Spice will be added to an already potent brew by the clash between Oliver Kahn and Jens Lehmann, bitter rivals for the Germany number one shirt. However, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has preferred Spanish custodian Manuel Almudia to Lehmann of late. "Some things seem to be inevitable. Jens and I instinctively knew we'd probably have to get through this. It will be hyped up into a personal duel, but the fixture isn't Kahn versus Lehmann," the Bayern keeper commented. Bayern are at home for the first leg on Tuesday 22 February at the Olympic stadium. The return at Highbury takes place on Wednesday 9 March. Champions League first knockout round draw: Real Madrid - Juventus Turin FC Porto - Inter Barcelona - Chelsea Werder Bremen - Olympique Lyon Liverpool - Bayer Leverkusen PSV Eindhoven - AS Monaco Manchester United - AC Milan Bayern - Arsenal
HILARIOUS!!! i just went to the arsenal website to see what their official reaction was (pretty detailed website, btw - especially compared to ours, but ive only browsed our english version, so) anyhoo they have THORSTEN FINK (no spelling error), HARGREAVES, and ZICKLER listed as our star players!!! LMFAO - i can only hope wenger is as misinformed as the guys who put that up! btw - after going through some of the arsenal fans' comments here - i can see why they are so misinformed and make statements like 'bayern arent exactly lighting up the bundesliga' and are 'not playing well at the moment' and 'ballack is a waste of money' he only cost 6mn euros, FFS ;-)
I second that. This forum is a respectful one. Thank you for taking the time to notice. Unfortunately, we occasionally get posters who get a rush of blood to the head and spout off. No worries, we are all grown men here. This will be a great draw no matter. A lot at stake and where better to play than in Munich and London?? Here come the Gerries!!!
I love pissing contests--they're always so much better than the match... Neither Bayern nor Arsenal currently represent a top international threat. Arsenal chokes and our defense lacks (more often than not). However, in big games Munich often matches the opposition and may even play better; winning is another story. Bayern can rise to the occasion, Arsenal generally can't. I favor Munich 51:49.
This is surely an interesting tie in soccer, a competition between a very attacking side vs a fairly attacking side . Yes, Bayern are not playing defensively like the last 6 years, we're becoming more as a team who likes to go forward but also organize on the back. If Bayern'd met Arsenal last year, well i'd have felt tremble a bit since we didn't have a good pair DC to match the power of the likes of Henry, Reyes. But now, why not with Lucio and Demichelis on the center and sagnol on the right. Henry tends to move wide from the left to the center, with Lucio and sagnol and the strong ballack and Frings playing as a shield in front of the 2, we'll have no problem to nullify their quick attackers. Also Owen Hargreaves should be playing on the left, he's good in tackling which can help us to stop them on the wing. Our weakest wing could be on the left with 2 little guys but it is where our most creative wing, so arsenal's counterparts don't dare to move forward too often on this side.
The weather also favours you guys. Reyes and Fabgregs might have trouble playing on ice and snow. Also that having to contend with that damn German winter windchill will pose a problem.
Sweet tie, I didn't actually want Bayern to face Arsenal but now that I look at it, it will be a good match up. I'm a big fan of Henry's style of play and Arsenal for that matter, I admit they have one of the strongest offenses in Europe and I am a bit worried about how Bayerns defense and Kahn will handle that. I have no doubt that Bayern can score (no Zickler and Santa Cruz by the way). Problem is them preventing the Gunners to score. The key here is to get a good result at home in the first leg. After that Bayern are the type of team that can hold off another team for an entire match. It'll be interesting nonetheless. Also, about the Kahn v. Lehman aspect of this tie. Even though Klinsman will be watching, I doubt it'll make a difference. Lehman isnt even guaranteed to start and Makaay won't make it easy on him if he does.
whats up with these odds??? from will hill... A C Milan 11/2 Chelsea 13/2 Barcelona 13/2 Arsenal 15/2 Juventus 8/1 Man Utd 11/1 Inter Milan 11/1 Real Madrid 12/1 Liverpool 14/1 Monaco 16/1 Lyon 16/1 Werder Bremen 20/1 Bayern Munich 22/1 B Leverkusen 25/1 P S V Eindhoven 33/1 Porto 66/1 lol, am i missing something? bayern at 22/1 is a superb 'long shot' to win the CL, imo... whats up with arsenal being rated so highly? just something to be attributed to the london press?
that' sbecause willhill is an english company . Who cares, what happen on the pitch will count, other things are just on paper. Personally, i prefer being counted an underdog like this, it wouldn't put too much pressure on the players Hey, why not make a bet on Bayern 22/1 is a good chance to make money, man