Champions League: Arsenal fight back but fail to advance

Mar 14, 2013
Champions League: Arsenal fight back but fail to advance
Arsenal are out of the Champions League once again, despite a brave display and a 2-0 away win at Bayern Munich. Olivier Giroud kicked off Arsenal's fightback after just three minutes on Theo Walcott's cross, then keeper Lukasz Fabianski did well to deny Bayern's Arjen Robben after the break and Laurent Koscielny's 86th-minute header left Arsenal just one goal away from a dramatic aggregate win, but Bayern held on. Arsenal had a perfect start to the match as they needed just three minutes to reduce the handicap from the 3-1 first-leg defeat. Walcott delivered a good assist for Giroud to claw one back for Arsenal. Despite that dream start the Gunners were unable to create more chances in the first half and it was Bayern who came very close on 68 minutes when Robben was denied by goalkeeper Fabianski when clean through on goal. Arsenal still needed two goals to qualify and Wenger took out Walcott and Ramsey and sent on Gervinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Gervinho had an instant impact as he created a great chance for himself only to fire wide before Koscielny headed home from a corner kick to set up a dramatic finale. The German side used all their experience to hold on to the aggregate lead though and Arsenal ran out of time. It will be another season without a trophy for Arsenal, their eighth in a row. Moreover, the Gunners might miss out on Champions League football next season as they are currently 5th in the Premier League, five points behind 4th placed Chelsea with 10 games left in the season. The Gunners will have a tricky Premier League away game at Swansea next Saturday, a match that Wenger's men have to win if they want to keep their Champions League hopes alive. Here are the odds for the match at Bet365: Swansea win - 9/4 Draw - 5/2 Arsenal win - 6/5
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