Bayern Munich eliminated Arsenal from the UEFA Champions League to reach the semifinals after a 1-0 victory in Germany thanks to Joshua Kimmich's bullet header.
Despite many seemingly writing off Thomas Tuchel's side before this clash due to their poor Bundesliga season, the better team on the night advanced to the last four and move one step closer to the final at Wembley.
Mikel Arteta's side started the game well at the Allianz Arena but Bayern asserted dominance swiftly and looked increasingly dangerous on the front foot. The first half saw few chances fall to either side and it was the Bavarians who came out of the interval with a point to prove.
Kimmich clipped a ball into the box for Leon Goretzka to attack with his head but his effort struck the bar. The ball then rebounded to Raphael Guerreiro who hit it first time and William Saliba's block saw it hit the outside of the post.
Bayern vs Arsenal final score
| FT | Goalscorers | |
| Bayern | 1 (3) | Kimmich 63' |
| Arsenal | 0 (2) |
That sequence lifted the Bayern ultras and it appeared to be a turning point in the fixture as waves of home attacks followed. They then took the lead after a sensational header by Kimmich, who was picked out beautifully from the left by Guerreiro.
Even though they were trailing, the Gunners still were predictable when in Bayern's final third and failed to test Manuel Neuer.
Perhaps the most telling part of the game came in the final minute as they rushed a free-kick in shooting territory. It was quickly taken before Bayern cleared for a corner. Bukayo Saka stepped up to deliver the ball into the box with the last kick of the game but he failed to beat the first man and the referee blew the whistle for full-time.
It marked a truly disappointing end to what has been a largely successful Champions League return for Arteta's side, but they fell at a familiar hurdle. They've yet again failed to reach the semifinals of the competition and are not likely to be taken seriously as possible Champions League contenders any time soon, unless of course, they go on to win the Premier League.
MORE: Champions League 2023/24 schedule: When are the semifinals?
For Bayern, they may have allowed the Bundesliga title to slip from their hands but a Champions League trophy wouldn't be the worst way for Tuchel to bow out of the job at the end of the season.
It's also a result that keeps the prospect of a 2013 final repeat alive as Borussia Dortmund also advanced to the semifinals after beating Atletico Madrid. Bayern defeated their Klassiker rivals in that final at Wembley Stadium, which will host the final again this year.
Bayern Munich vs Arsenal stats
| Bayern | Stat | Arsenal |
| 15 | Shots | 8 |
| 7 | Shots on target | 4 |
| 1.33 | Expected goals | 0.47 |
| 51% | Possession | 49% |
| 416 | Passes | 408 |
| 8 | Corners | 3 |
| 2 | Yellow cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
Bayern vs Arsenal live updates, highlights, and commentary
Semi-finals, here we come! 😍
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) April 17, 2024
♦️ #FCBARS 1-0 (HT) ♦️ pic.twitter.com/yn8zdYglzN
FT: Arsenal have a free-kick in a dangerous area which is taken quickly and they have a last-minute corner. Saka's corner doesn't beat the first man and it's ALL OVER! Bayern are through to the semifinals of the Champions League.
90+3 minute: Jesus is booked for dissent.
90+1 minute: Rice clips a ball to the back post for Saka to hook back into the middle but he was offside.
90th minute: We're now in added time and the fourth official has said there will be four minutes! That's it for Arsenal to find an equaliser otherwise they will be out of the Champions League!
88th minute: Odegaard goes on a tantalising run into the box and tries to sneak a shot past Neuer at the near post but the German goalkeeper makes a good save. The referee and the assistant fail to see the save and award a goal kick!
86th minute: Arteta is making changes and he brings off Tomiyasu for Nketiah. They're desperate for an equaliser!
84th minute: White is booked for showing his frustration as he wipes out Laimer.
80th minute: Jesus finds space in the box but takes the ball slightly too wide and his effort is nowhere near testing Neuer.
77th minute: While it's gone slightly quiet in the Allianz, Man City have drawn level against Real Madrid and are as things stand, heading to extra time.
70th minute: Arsenal have 20 minutes to rescue their Champions League campaign. Jorginho and Martinelli have made way for Trossard and Jesus.
66th minute: Bayern are all over Arsenal now. Sane this time has a go at Raya but he scoops the effort way over the bar.
63rd minute: GOAL!!! Bayern lead! Guerreiro picks out Kimmich who makes a darting run into the box and bullets a header past Raya.
Watch in USA:
KIMMICH WITH A BULLET HEADER TO GIVE BAYERN THE LEAD 🎯💥 pic.twitter.com/UEnhqMEH8D
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 17, 2024
61st minute: Goretzka is finding pockets of space in between Arsenal's midfield and last line of defence. This time he tries an effort from distance but Saliba closes him down well.
58th minute: Gabriel almost turns the ball into his own net! Arsenal fans had their hearts in their mouth then...
56th minute: Laimer is the first player to receive a yellow card this evening as he gets the wrong side of Odegaard and drags him to the floor.
47th minute: What a start for Bayern. Kimmich's cross into the box is met by Goretzka with a header and it hits the bar! The ball rebounds to Guerreiro who hits it goalwards but Saliba blocks well and that ends up hitting the outside of the post.
46th minute: We're back underway in Munich!
HT: That's it for the first half in what has been a cagey affair between the two sides. Both teams have had one or two good chances each but nothing too clear-cut.
41st minute: White flicks the ball from his left to his right and hits it from outside the box but slightly slices it as it flies wide.
36th minute: Ooh that's cheeky by Bayern. Both sets of players went to rehydrate as Saka was down because of a head injury. The Arsenal player then gets back to his feet and the German side tries to take a quick free-kick while some players were still drinking their water. The referee was having none of it and called the play back.
32nd minute: Odegaard again involved as he cuts the ball back to Martinelli who strikes with his left foot but it's right at Neuer.
30th minute: Odegaard's strike from distance takes a huge deflection and nearly catches Neuer off guard but the German makes a good recovery to collect the ball.
23rd minute: Mazraoui makes a brilliant overlapping run and gets his shot off. It's deflected off Ben White which lifts the ball over Raya but fortunately for the Gunners, it goes out for a corner. That was a close call.
18th minute: Jorginho hacks down Musiala who had beaten the Italian with his trickery. That already feels like a mismatch in midfield.
15th minute: There's been a goal in the other quarterfinal. Rodrygo has just put Madrid ahead against Man City at the Etihad...
12th minute: Saka gets the better of Mazraoui for the first time this evening but his cross is too deep and goes out for a throw-in. Mazraoui is typically a right-back by trade, so Saka should relish the match-up this evening.
8th minute: Martinelli drifts into the middle of the park from the left and tries to curl a strike at Neuer but again, it's wide of the goal.
4th minute: The first opportunity falls to Kane who tries to scoop an effort goalwards but it's wide of the goal. Arsenal have started well here, dominating possession in the early stages.
1st minute: We're underway at the Allianz!
5 mins before kickoff: The two teams are headed out of the tunnel! Kickoff is next...
15 mins before kickoff: Look away Arsenal fans... in the knockout stages of the Champions League, FC Bayern have only failed to progress from one of their last 18 two-legged ties when avoiding defeat in the first leg. That loss did, however, come against an English side when Liverpool beat them 3-1 in 2019.
30 mins before kickoff: A quick look at tonight's venue!
Straight to the pitch 👋#packmas #UCL #FCBARS pic.twitter.com/Dpbrv8GR62
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) April 17, 2024
1 hour before kickoff: Team news is in! Harry Kane starts up top for Munich, Martinelli comes into the starting XI in place of Gabriel Jesus for the Gunners.
1 hour 30 mins before kickoff: Arsenal have lost each of their last three trips to face German sides in the Champions League, with the last two both ending in heavy 5-1 defeats to Bayern. The Gunners have drastically improved their squad since then, though.
2 hours before kickoff: It could be an incredibly special night in Arsenal's history if they're to beat Bayern this evening for a place in the semifinals. A look back to 2013 – their last win at the Allianz:
⏪ A winning night in 2013...
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 17, 2024
Giroud and Koscielny on the scoresheet at the Fußball Arena München 🤩 pic.twitter.com/PfMQ1Lg13p
Bayern Munich vs Arsenal kick off time
This Champions League clash takes place at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany and kicks off on Wednesday, April 17 at 9:00 p.m. local time.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Wed, Apr. 17 | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| Canada | Wed, Apr. 17 | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| UK | Wed, Apr. 17 | 8:00 p.m. BST |
| AUS | Thu, Apr. 18 | 5:00 a.m. AEST |
| India | Thu, Apr. 18 | 12:30 a.m. IST |
Bayern vs Arsenal lineups, team news
Thomas Tuchel faces a growing injury list ahead of this match, with Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry both ruled out. Leroy Sane and Manuel Neuer are expected to recover from minor knocks but Alphonso Davies is suspended.
Bayern Munich predicted XI (4-2-3-1 right to left): Neuer (GK) — Kimmich, De Ligt, Dier, Guerreiro — Goretzka, Laimer — Sane, Muller, Musiala — Kane.
Bayern subs (9): Matchday squad released one hour prior to kickoff
Captain Martin Odegaard was forced off late on in Arsenal's defeat to Villa and Arteta was non-committal over whether he would be fit in time for this game. Veteran midfielder Jorginho is expected to return with Gabriel Jesus potentially leading the attack.
Arsenal predicted XI (4-3-3 right to left): Raya (GK) — White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko — Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice — Saka, Havertz, Jesus.
Arsenal subs (9): Matchday squad released one hour prior to kickoff
Bayern Munich vs Arsenal live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this Champions League match across selected areas of the world's major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | — | Paramount+, ViX |
| Canada | — | |
| UK | TNT Sports 2 | discovery+ |
| Australia | — | Stan Sport |
| India | — | JioTV, Sony LIV |
