Arsenal will have one clear advantage when they take on Bayern Munich in the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Journalist James McNicholas has highlighted one boost Arsenal will get when Bayern Munich come to the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners secured passage to the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in 14 years when David Raya’s penalty shootout heroics earned them a win over Porto.
Mikel Arteta’s side will now come up against Bayern Munich in the last eight of the competition. Despite the German giants’ prestige, the north London club will fancy their chances heading into this clash. Bayern Munich have not been at their best this season, and look destined to miss out on the Bundesliga title, as Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen currently have a ten point lead at the top of the table with just eight games left to play.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are in blistering form themselves. They are currently top of the Premier League table, and have won eight games on the bounce in the competition since the turn of the year.
Before Arsenal even got past Porto, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher claimed that Arsenal would beat Bayern Munich if they were to be drawn against them in the Champions League this season.
The Gunners will now have an opportunity to prove the pundit right. Arsenal will also be keen to exact revenge on the Bavarian outfit, who have inflicted a number of humiliating defeats upon them in the past.
Why no Bayern Munich fans will come to Arsenal
The first-leg of this encounter will take place at the Emirates Stadium on April 9th. No Bayern Munich fans will be inside the Arsenal stadium on that night, though. As reported by the BBC, the German club will not be allowed to bring any of their own supporters to north London as a result of UEFA sanctions, after Bayern Munich fans threw fireworks onto the pitch during their recent clash with Lazio.
McNicholas believes that Arsenal need to make the most of this situation. Speaking on the Arsecast Extra podcast, the reporter said, “the lack of away fans could be a real benefit for Arsenal…Arsenal are going to be selling those tickets, that’s the plan…60,000 Gooners, could be a pretty good night. It will need to be, right, because that’s the first leg.”
Arteta called upon the Arsenal fans to generate a raucous atmosphere for the visit of Porto. The Spanish coach will surely want the same energy from the stands when Bayern Munich come to town. On this occasion, though, the only voices that will be heard will be Arsenal supporting ones.