Arsenal’s reward for finishing top of Group A in the Champions League this season is a two-legged tie with Bundesliga champions and historic European heavyweights, Bayern Munich. Arsene Wenger was surely cursing his luck when the Bavarians’ name came out of the pot, but, in truth, this may be the best season in recent memory to play them.
With Pep Guardiola having departed over the summer, the BuLi giants aren’t quite at the very best under Carlo Ancelotti. However, they are top of their domestic division and are being talked about among the favourites to lift the Champions League trophy again this term.
We’re so excited about this one at Football FanCast that we’ve made it our Fixture in Focus and as part of the build-up we thought we’d take a guess at how a single XI blended of the two teams’ best players would look. It certainly wasn’t an easy one to make, but here goes…
GK – Manuel Neuer
Petr Cech may be among Europe’s elite ‘keepers, but Neuer is, arguably, the best glovesman on the planet. An imposing goalkeeper with a front-foot approach that allows his defence to push up the pitch, the World Cup-winner may well go down as one of his nation’s all-time greats – no mean feat given their tendency to churn out quality No.1s.
RB – Hector Bellerin
Bayern aren’t blessed with options at right-back, but that should take nothing away from Bellerin. The Spaniard has really kicked on over the past couple of seasons after forcing his way into Arsene Wenger’s plans following a series of injuries and mixes his ferocious pace with somewhat under-praised defensive abilities.
CB – Jerome Boateng
A flop at Manchester City, Boateng is now among the elite band of centre-backs on the planet with his sheer athleticism and reading of the game making him the complete central defender. He’s been known to make the odd error, but he cannot have won as much as he has without being a world-class player and he would walk into any team in world football.
CB – Laurent Koscielny
Slightly controversial, this, but Koscielny edges out Mats Hummels to make our XI. The Frenchman has really shone at Arsenal after a shaky debut season following his move from Lorient and combines graceful technique on the ball with the sort of defensive nous that the Gunners had been missing for a while before his emergence.
LB – David Alaba
The Austria international can line up anywhere across midfield and even as an advanced winger, but he’s most frequently played at left-back, where his ability to get up and down the flank and contribute at both ends make him a real threat. The complete modern-day footballer, there are no left-sided options in the Arsenal ranks that even close to Alaba’s overall quality.
CM – Arturo Vidal
Feisty, energetic and a fierce winner, Vidal is a midfield force of nature. The Chilean has won honours at international level and been a part of Juventus and Bayern’s respective domination of their domestic divisions in recent seasons. Although he has a tendency to get a little carried away on the pitch, his passion and competitive streak is infectious.
CM – Xabi Alonso
Alongside the fire of Vidal, we have the water of Alonso – one of the coolest midfielders around. He may now be nearing the back end of a glittering career, but the 35-year-old can still do at the very highest level and his ability to spray passes from a deep midfield role made him one of the first names in this XI.
CAM – Mesut Ozil
You thought we’d forgotten about Arsenal, didn’t you? Well, we haven’t and Ozil gets the nod on our team. Divisive in that when he’s out of form he can be pretty anonymous, but the German playmaker is as good as any No.10 on his day and has shown over the past few seasons that he can really influence games. Able to play killer through balls while being cool enough to finish off moves himself, he is one of few Gunners stars that would get into a first choice Bayern XI.
LAM – Alexis Sanchez
Another Gunner now in the shape of Sanchez. Primarily a striker this season, the Chilean is just as good, if not better, on the left wing where his ability to drift inside causes mayhem for centre-backs and full-backs.
RAM – Arjen Robben
Even though he’s 33 and has been playing at the top level for what seems an eternity, Robben remains one of the best in the business. The Dutchman may not have the lightning pace he carried in his youngster years, but he’s still sharp over five to ten yards and possesses a killer left-foot that makes him a danger anywhere in the final third.
ST – Robert Lewandowski
There aren’t many better orthodox strikers in world football than Lewandowski, whose scoring record since the 2011/12 season in the Bundesliga is frightening – 128 goals. The Poland international offers more than just predatory instincts, too, with his giant frame making him a good out ball, while his pace is surprising for a bulky forward.
