FC Bayern will face FC Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League. The Gunners are currently top of the Premier League table and are one of the strongest teams in Europe under Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta. Nevertheless, Sky pundit Dietmar Hamann, who is a critical observer of Bayern, believes that the German record champions will progress.
Ten points behind unbeaten league leaders Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. In the DFB Cup, they failed in the second round against third-division side 1. FC Saarbrücken. FC Bayern’s focus is now on the Champions League, as they only have an outside chance of winning their 12th championship title in a row in the league. In the round of the last eight, the German record champions will battle it out with FC Arsenal for a place in the Champions League semi-finals. Even though Munich have rarely been able to consistently fulfil their playing potential over several games this season, Dietmar Hamann still believes that FC Bayern have the advantage.
Hamann: Arsenal „completely inexperienced“ at this level
In an interview with Sport BILD, Sky pundit Didi Hamann gave his prediction for the upcoming first and second leg: „A duel at eye level with a slight advantage for FC Bayern.“ According to Hamann, the team can now show what it’s made of.
Even though the Gunners under Mikel Arteta are leading the Premier League ahead of Manchester City and Liverpool FC, FC Bayern should „not be blinded“ by these performances. The former Bayern player sees a significant advantage in their experience on the international stage: „Of course they’re a good team. But they are completely inexperienced at this level in the Champions League. With the exception of Havertz, they don’t have a player who has done well in the top flight.“
Arsenal FC are therefore a „very doable task“ for FC Bayern on their way to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, even if it „won’t be easy“. The extent to which international experience will ultimately be the deciding factor in this clash will be shown on 9 and 17 April, when the first and second legs of the quarter-finals will take place.
