Arsenal have lost against all three Group F rivals, including a 5-1 humiliation against Bayern in their last outing, and need to win their final two games to have any chance of qualification. PHOTO COURTESY: WWW.ARSENAL.COM
Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal can still salvage their calamitous Champions League campaign as they prepare for Tuesday’s do-or-die showdown with Dinamo Zagreb.
Wenger’s side are on the brink of a stunning failure to make the knockout stages for the first time in 16 years after three defeats in their first four Group F fixtures.
The Gunners must beat Croatian side Dinamo at the Emirates Stadium to keep their hopes alive, but even that won’t be enough to avoid elimination if second placed Olympiakos, who sit six points ahead of Arsenal, draw or win at Bayern Munich.
Yet if results go Arsenal’s way in midweek, they will travel to Olympiakos for their final group match on December 9 knowing a win could send them through depending on the margin of victory.
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And Wenger remains convinced Arsenal can find a way to stage one of the great European escape acts. “We will give absolutely everything to stay in the Champions League,” said Wenger. “I think we still have a strong chance but it will be very tight now. Even if we had beaten Bayern, we would be in a position where we have to beat Olympiakos, if we beat Zagreb at home.”
While Wenger is optimistic about Arsenal’s chances, he acknowledges the Gunners have only themselves to blame for their precarious predicament.
While a heavy defeat at Bayern in their last European outing could be excused given the quality of the opposition, there was no explaining away lacklustre losses against Dinamo and Olympiakos.
“It is a reality that in two games, against Bayern, we took three points [but] we have created our own problems before that,” said Wenger.
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Bayern look to underline dominance
A draw would put both teams in the Champions League’s knock-out phase, but Bayern Munich intend to show main group rivals Olympiakos who’s boss at the Allianz Arena.
Both Olympiakos and Bayern have nine points, but Pep Guardiola’s Bavarians lead the table with an overwhelming goal difference and beat their Greek rivals 3-0 in Piraus in September.
Victory will ensure Bayern, who are unbeaten in their eight European games against sides from Greece, win the group.
They will be looking to build on their 5-1 thumping of Arsenal at home three weeks ago, which avenged their 2-0 loss in London — their only defeat this season.
Guardiola has said the Gunners can be sure his team will not be playing for a draw.
“Arsenal can be sure that we will be going out to beat Olympiakos to do our best to be first in the group,” insisted Guardiola after his side had trounced Arsenal in Munich.
Both Guardiola and Thomas Muller have bemoaned the negative tactics Bayern’s opponents are deploying this season with teams often playing a five-man defence in a bid to frustrate Munich’s star-studded attack.
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Olympiakos could be forgiven for attempting something similar as between them, Muller and Poland hot-shot Robert Lewandowski have scored eight Champions League goals in a combined haul of 37 in all competitions this season.
Barca point away from qualification
Fresh from thrashing bitter rivals Real Madrid 4-0 at the weekend, Barcelona are aiming to seal their place in the last 16 of the Champions League when Roma visit the Camp Nou.
The European champions need just a point to reach the knockout stages for a 12th consecutive season and should be further boosted by the presence of Lionel Messi from the start for the first time in two months.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 24th, 2015.
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