Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich scored a header in the 63rd minute to give his team a 1-0 victory over a lethargic Arsenal on Wednesday. With a 3-2 aggregate win, the result moved the team to the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in four years.
After a 2-2 first-leg tie, Germany’s international Kimmich timed his run into the box precisely to connect with a cross from Raphael Guerreiro and put Bayern, who had earlier missed two double chances, in the lead.
The Bavarians, who are having their worst domestic season in over ten years, will next play Real Madrid in the semifinals, while Thomas Tuchel, the departing Bayern manager, became the first German coach to coach three different teams to the final four.
“Unbelievable win. It’s been a tough season for us and we’ve had to fight and grind at times,”explained Harry Kane, the top scorer for Bayern, who had scored in the first leg.
“Today was just that – we knew it was going to be a tough game but also that at home we could make the difference with our fans there.”
“As always in these types of games, the first half was a bit cagey. We said at halftime to up the tempo and the pressing and be better with the ball. That’s what we did.”
After excellent work by Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli’s first-time shot gave Arsenal the finest opportunity of the game. It went straight to goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who broke the record with his 58th clean sheet.
Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal result
Soon after the restart, the home team had a chance when Leon Goretzka’s header struck the crossbar and Guerreiro’s rebounded attempt struck the post.
Despite making multiple substitutions, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was unable to breach the German defence and had no genuine scoring opportunities in the second half as Bayern maintained their composure and control of the game.
“Very sad and disappointed with the final result,” Arteta explained. “It was a tie of very small margins. In the first leg we conceded two poor goals.”
“It was a game where you can see an error or individual brilliance would make the difference. The goal put them in a really good position. We lacked the magic to unlock the game and open that door. That’s why we are out.”
The setback completes an unsatisfactory four days for Arteta’s club, which was dealt a blow on Sunday when they lost to Aston Villa in the Premier League.
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