BAYERN MUNICH LOADED fresh misery onto beleaguered Arsenal with a 3-1 win at the Emirates Stadium tonight that left them with one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Seeking a reaction after Saturday’s shock FA Cup exit at the hands of second-tier Blackburn Rovers, Arsenal were instead soundly beaten by a Bayern side desperate to atone for last season’s Champions League final heartache.
Runaway leaders in the Bundesliga, Bayern bossed the first half of the last 16, first leg, and went in 2-0 up at half-time through goals from Toni Kroos and Thomas Mueller.
Lukas Podolski replied early in the second half, breaching his former club’s defence for the first time in 2013, but Mario Mandzukic struck late on to put Bayern firmly in control ahead of the second leg on March 13.
With defeat, Arsenal’s hopes of ending an eight-year trophy drought recede still further, and although Bayern will be without the suspended Bastian Schweinsteiger in the second leg, with three away goals, they may not miss him.
More to follow
