As one of Europe’s biggest clubs and the current holders of the Champions League, it’s no real surprise that Bayern Munich have had their fair share of games against English clubs in what is Europe’s premier club competition.
Here’s how they’ve fared in those ties. One of the most infamous clashes that Bayern have had with an English club in recent years has to be their four games over a period of a few years against Arsenal in Champions League Round of 16. In one of those ties, Arsenal actually beat Bayern in the home league by two goals to nil thanks to an effort from Olivier Giroud as well as a last-gap goal from Mesut Ozil.
Despite that high point, things haven’t gone well for Arsenal since then, which is
reflected by the Premier League odds online as they aren’t one of the favourites to finish in the top six.
Considering where the Gunners used to be by way of their consecutive qualification for the Champions League under Arsene Wenger despite calls from rival fans that Arsenal were boring as a result, it has been a rather notable fall from grace. A catalyst for such has to be the thrashing that Bayern gave the Gunners in 2017 when the Germans beat the red side of London 10-2 over the Round of 16 stage, winning 5-1 in both legs; this was despite the fact Arsenal took the lead in the home leg through Theo Walcott before Bayern scored five in the last thirty-five minutes of the game.
Bayern have faced an English club in a Champions League final, although they did rather famously lose to a Chelsea side featuring the likes of Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard. The final has gone down in history as one of the more intense and interesting of recent years, going right down to the wire with late goals from Thomas Muller and Didier Drogba sending the game into extra time and eventually into a penalty shootout. It would also be the Ivorian who converted the all-important fifth penalty that gave Chelsea the win.
However, their own victory was short-lived as during the competitions it allowed them to
gain to, namely the Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup, Chelsea lost both of those ties, against Corinthians in the Club World Cup and Atletico Madrid in the Super Cup.
Intriguingly, Bayern have tasted Champions League success on English soil, beating a
Borussia Dortmund side then managed by Jurgen Klopp in a 2-1 win at the home of English football.
It’s definitely fair to say that much like any club involved in European football, Bayern’s
results have been rather mixed on the continental stage. However, considering that they did win the 2020 edition of the tournament, there doesn’t look to be many clubs in Europe better than Bayern, although they have a tough task on their hands if they want to hold on to the trophy.
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