Football

Kimmich heads Bayern Munich past Arsenal and into semi-finals

April 18, 2024 6:30 am

[Source: Reuters]

Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich powered in a 63rd-minute header to give the Germans a 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the Champions League and send them through to the semi-finals for the first time in four years with a 3-2 aggregate win.

Germany international Kimmich timed his run into the box perfectly to connect with a Raphael Guerreiro cross and put Bayern, who had earlier hit the woodwork twice from a double chance, in the driving seat following a 2-2 first-leg draw.

The Bavarians, enduring their worse domestic season in more than a decade after failing to win both the Bundesliga title and the German Cup, will next face either Manchester City or Real Madrid in the last four.

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There was little to separate the two sides in a cautious first half with Bayern threatening early with two shots from striker Harry Kane, who had scored in the first leg.

Arsenal, bidding to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2009, were almost caught on the break in the 23rd minute when Noussair Mazraoui’s cutback after a quick turn of pace was palmed wide by David Raya. The Arsenal keeper also blocked a Jamal Musiala shot a minute later as Bayern had a brief spell of pressure in the first half.

The best chance, however, fell to Arsenal in the 32nd with Gabriel Martinelli’s first-time shot, after good work from Martin Odegaard, going straight to keeper Manuel Neuer, who set a competition record with his 58th clean sheet.

The hosts went close straight after the restart with Leon Goretzka’s header bouncing off the crossbar before Guerreiro hit the post with a shot on the rebound.

But they gradually upped the pressure against a toothless Arsenal and Kimmich charged into the box and drilled his header past Raya.

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta made several substitutions but they could not find a way into the German box and had no real scoring chances in the second half with Bayern remaining disciplined and in control of the game.

The defeat caps a disappointing four days for Arteta’s team after their Premier League title challenge suffered a blow with their loss to Aston Villa on Sunday.