Arsenal to start David Ospina ahead of Petr Cech against Bayern Munich

Arsenal travel to Bayern Munich on Wednesday night in the knowledge that defeat will pretty much destroy their slim Champions League hopes.

This season has, dispiritingly, gone nearly exactly as the last few have: Arsenal start strong and look worldbeating early.

This is the round where Arsenal have been eliminated in each of the last six tournaments. Bayern’s game with Arsenal is fascinating as the German side aren’t firing on all cylinders despite their seven-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.

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He has to weigh up the risk of Ozil starting and not playing well; the damage it might cause if he didn’t play him from the start at the Allianz Arena; and what Ozil might bring if he does find some form. Pregame coverage at 11 a.m.

Ribery notched an assist against Freiburg and then Werder Bremen in consecutive 2-1 wins in January, although the German champions were far from convincing victors on both occasions.

“It will be important at home if we have a good result tomorrow”. Still in play, though, is the Champions League quest.

In the last five matches between the two sides, the Gunners have recorded two victories including a 2-0 triumph in the reverse fixture of last season’s 5-1 loss back in north London.

“Maybe I’m being unfair, it can be hard to recover back, but you see other players doing that”.

“Petr Cech may be the better known, but Ospina has done a great job, so it doesn’t matter which ‘keeper we play against because we will play against a very good one”. Round of 16 pairs were drawn according to a rule that group stage winners would face the second placed teams and no teams from same group or same national association could be drawn together.

Bayern haven’t been as tight defensively under Ancelotti as they were under his predecessor, and Arsenal nearly always score away from home.

“It is very hard to knock the man but there might be a reason why players don’t improve as they should do under Arsenal“.

“Back here, I feel I am in my home”, the 24-year-old said. We need to go out there and enjoy ourselves by playing the football that we know we’re capable of playing. “I will pick the team tomorrow morning and you will see”, he added.

“He even said he would not sign a new contract until he knew the future of the manager”.