Sports Desk, Apr 18 (EFE).- Joshua Kimmich struck a header in the second half to help Bayern Munich beat Arsenal 1-0 on Wednesday and move to the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since winning the title in 2020.
After an even first half in which neither side wanted to take their chance, the game burst into life two minutes after the restart as Leon Goretzka headed onto the bar before Raphael Guerreiro’s effort on the rebound was deflected onto the post.
The two attempts gave Bayern confidence to slowly establish their authority, which brought the result midway through the second half when Kimmich met Guerreiro’s inviting cross and thundered his header into the net.
Leroy Sane soon had an opportunity to double the lead, but he blazed it over.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta responded to the goal by sending on Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard, but they could not make a serious impact in the game.
Knowing that a spot in the last four was in their grasp, Bayern held their defense tight, completely blocking the way for Arsenal to attempt a comeback.
“It was a chess game in the first half, nobody wanted to make the first mistake,” said Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel.
“Everyone played a bit safe. We encouraged the team at halftime to show a bit more personality, a bit more courage. We were more fluid and played a fantastic second half.”
Arsenal’s Arteta rued their lack of experience.
“We tried against a team which has a lot of experience. Throughout the tie, the margins were very small,” he said.
“There were moments when we were better, but we gave them two goals and that’s a big advantage to give away.”
The win healed some of the wounds of Bayern, who lost their Bundesliga crown to Leverkusen on Sunday after 11 seasons.
In the semifinal, they will face record 14-time champions Real Madrid, who beat holders Manchester City 4-3 in the tiebreaker. EFE
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