Bayern Munich might still end a disappointing season by winning the Champions League. Arsenal faces the chance of finishing a promising season without winning any trophies.
Joshua Kimmich’s header led Bayern to a 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Wednesday, securing their spot in the Champions League semifinals with a 3-2 aggregate win.
With the score tied at 2-2 from the first leg in London, Kimmich’s header from Raphael Guerreiro’s precise cross gave Bayern the lead in the 63rd minute as they mostly neutralized Arsenal’s attacks.
Arsenal’s players were “devastated,” manager Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports. “I can’t find the right words to lift them up.”
Bayern kept their hopes alive of ending the season with a trophy just three days after Bayer Leverkusen ended their 11-year reign as German champions.
Striker Harry Kane, who spoke about being motivated by his release from Arsenal as a youth player, moves closer to potentially winning the first trophy of his career.
Tuchel mentioned that beating Arsenal meant “a lot” to him. “Reaching the semifinals is a significant step, the last four teams, that was enjoyable,” he told DAZN.
Bayern and Arsenal have met in the knockout stages of the Champions League five times since 2005, and each time, Bayern has knocked out Arsenal.
Arsenal’s exit from the Champions League follows a setback to their hopes of winning the Premier League title with a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa on Sunday.
The defeat also means Arsenal won’t be participating in next year’s Club World Cup in the United States, with Austrian team Salzburg taking their place. Arsenal regretted the defensive mistakes that cost them in the first leg.
“We conceded two goals, which was a big advantage to give away. Today, we couldn’t afford any mistakes, but unfortunately, we made a defensive error and conceded,” said Arteta.
“Now it’s a tough moment. We need to support the players because they’re the ones who’ve brought us on this journey.”
Tuchel, who will leave at the end of the season, becomes a semifinalist in the Champions League with three different teams. He led Paris Saint-Germain to the final in 2020 and won the competition with Chelsea a year later.
After a first half with lots of midfield battles, which Tuchel described as “a chess game,” the game livened up in the second half when Bayern hit the woodwork twice in quick succession. Leon Goretzka’s header hit the crossbar, and Guerreiro’s shot was deflected onto the post.
