Bayern Munich and Arsenal prove their depth in high-quality Champions League draw

Bayern Munich and Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at Allianz Arena on Wednesday highlighted both clubs’ ability to cope with significant absences, while Vincent Kompany once again showed his willingness to adapt tactically against elite opposition.

The result, in the third round of the Champions League, was a fair reflection of an evenly contested match and underlined the strength of both squads.

Bayern had been forced to manage without Michael Olise, who was suspended, but his absence did little to weaken their attacking threat. The German side created several opportunities and maintained their usual attacking presence, although they lacked precision with some of their final touches.

Joshua Kimmich was also unavailable following the death of his father, yet Bayern did not appear short of control in midfield. Alexander Pavlovic and Tom Bischof both produced assured performances despite facing an Arsenal midfield of considerable quality.

Kompany’s decision to use Alphonso Davies as a left winger in place of Luis Diaz also paid off. The Canada international scored Bayern’s opening goal and strengthened his case as another option in that position.

Arsenal were without the injured Piero Hincapie, Christos Tzolis and William Saliba, but their own depleted squad showed little sign of being affected. Bukayo Saka was forced off in the 10th minute after picking up an injury, yet his early departure did not prevent Arsenal from taking the lead.

His replacement, Eberechi Eze, scored to make it 1-0 and remained a constant threat to Bayern’s defence.

Kompany changes approach

Kompany demonstrated once more that he can adopt a pragmatic approach and vary his methods when circumstances demand it, particularly against opponents of Arsenal’s calibre.

Bayern played with relative caution in the first half and relied more heavily on counter-attacks. That approach helped them recover from going behind, with Davies scoring the equaliser to make it 1-1.

The Bundesliga champions then adopted a different approach after the interval, especially during the opening 30 minutes of the second half. They controlled possession, created sustained pressure and repeatedly tested Arsenal’s goal.

Their efforts brought a second goal through a Harry Kane penalty, but Mikel Arteta’s side regained their balance during the closing stages. Declan Rice eventually secured a valuable point for Arsenal with the equaliser.

Arsenal finished with 54% possession and attempted 14 shots, compared with Bayern’s 46% and 13 efforts. Both teams recorded five shots on target.

Bayern nevertheless created the clearer chances, registering an expected goals figure of 2.51 against Arsenal’s 1.40. The hosts also recorded 29 touches in the visitors’ penalty area, while Arsenal had 21.

Arsenal completed 502 passes to Bayern’s 433, but committed only six fouls compared with 15 by the home side.