Kimmich crushes Arsenal’s dream and sends Munich into the semi-finals

After three consecutive mistakes in the quarters, Bayern Munich qualified for the last four of the Champions League, thanks to their narrow success (1-0) against Arsenal.

Bayern Munich keep the season “alive”. The expression is from the Englishman Harry Kane, scorer in the first half (2-2). Much more discreetly at the Allianz Arena, muzzled by the central hinge of the Gunners, the Englishman did not score for once.

>> Champions League: relive Bayern-Arsenal (1-0)

But Bayern Munich had other assets on the pitch to overcome Arsenal (1-0) in the quarter-finals. Joshua Kimmich was replaced since February in the right-back position where he retains all his influence, leading a comeback that did not want to produce a winner.

The international midfielder is a player of rare reliability, used to scoring in the knockout games of the premier event. Scorer against Manchester City at this stage of the competition last season, Joshua Kimmich arrived behind the Gunners defense to place an unstoppable header (62nd).

Kimmich had already been at the start of the game’s most dangerous opportunity a few minutes earlier, with a delicious cross placed on the head of Leon Goretzka, who hit Raya’s cross (47th).

Gunners that lack edge

The two teams struggled to let go and end a deadlocked encounter in the first period, with unusual technical errors and hesitation not favoring the continuity of the game between two teams that feared each other.

In this tactical battle they engaged in, Arsenal and Bayern Munich alternated periods of dominance and periods of weakness. The two keepers were not called in that often in the first period.

Raya was very alert against Musiala (24th), before leaving it to Neuer to shine against Odegaard (29th), but that’s about it, although Gabriel Martinelli could have done better, alone from the penalty spot, on an offer from Martin Odegaard, him again.

This is the whole problem for Arsenal, who will have lacked cutting edge at an offensive level, where Bayern Munich, experienced in these games at a very high level, proved more bleeding after they returned from the dressing room.

More experienced, the Bavarian club controlled after the opening result. “The second period was very good, we could have even scored more goals,” said Joshua Kimmich who seemed almost disappointed despite qualifying. However, there is reason to rejoice for Bayern, who are not really celebrating this season.

Coming out in the quarter-finals during the previous three editions, it Record Master reached the semi-finals of the Champions League for the 13th time in its history, a phase of the competition that it had not reached since the last coronation in 2020, against PSG.

For Arsenal, who surrendered the Premier League lead to Manchester City by losing six days from time to Aston Villa, it is the end of a dream.

Six-time European champions, Bayern Munich have only the Champions League to save their season after losing the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen.

A crowning in the event would be a (very) nice consolation prize for Bayern Munich and their coach Thomas Tuchel. The German technician, who leaves at the end of the season, reached the semi-finals for the third time in his career with a third different team, after Paris and Chelsea.

Only José Mourinho has achieved this with more teams (Porto, Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid). So far, Thomas Tuchel has always reached the final of the last four. Rebelote this year?