Bayern Munich and Arsenal both came out swinging in the first half of what was widely considered the most anticipated fixture of this seasons UEFA Champions League. While both sides landed punches, it
was ‘The Gunners’ who would land two critical hits in the second half, dazing Bayern and earning a 3-1 victory. But what made the difference for Arsenal in the second half?
According to Declan Rice, Arsenal’s midfield engine, the deciding factor in the “very intense” game was his side’s ability to adapt to Bayern’s style of play.
“We have a team that will do absolutely anything to win a game – in any context,” explained the England international in a post-match interview captured by FCBayern.com. “Today we played against one of the best teams. We matched them, we beat them. It was an incredible night. Every player – from the goalkeeper to the attackers – was outstanding. And the win was absolutely deserved. It was a very intense game. Maybe we had a few percent more in the second half. In the first half, they probably had a bit more control. We had to get used to the way they play. They play man-to-man all over the pitch, they do that every week. We’re not necessarily used to that – but we can play like that. And you could see that in the second half.”
While Bayern were perhaps marginally better than Arsenal in the first half, Mikel Arteta’s side made the necessary adjustments to dismantle the German side’s man-to-man-press with minimal resistance. The London based side managed to find the solution to the question that is Bayern while Kompany’s side were left standing clueless in front of the drawing board with no tactical response.
