Bayern Munich against Arsenal

Henry caught off-side as he races on to a Pires through-ball. Another tight decision, well judged by the officials.

SUB: Cole on for Cliche. Cole fell ill this afternoon, and didn't feel fit enough to start.

Bayern look very solid. They have worked very hard tonight. If I was impressed by that sort of thing, I'd currently be lauding their efficiency and discipline.

The game is just going through a quiet period at the moment, which won't suit Arsenal.

SUB: Van Persie on, Ljungberg off. Boy, have I got egg on my face.

Booking for Lauren. After losing control of the ball, the Arsenal man lunches horribly, two-footed, at Lizarazu. Lucky just to see yellow.

SUB: Hargreaves on, Salihamidzic off. The first Englishman to make an appearance.

Lovely reversed pass from Scholl gives Salihamidzic the chance to send over a dangerous ball, but Cygan blocks. Corner.

Robin Van Persie is stripping off on the bench for Arsenal. I imagine Reyes will be the player replaced.

The only thing that could save Arsenal now would be an away goal. And, to be fair, they don't remotely look like getting it.

A Reyes free-kick from 25 yards flies narrowly over Kahn's bar. The German 'keeper seemed to have the shot covered.

The off-side flag saves Arsenal. Sagnol is found by Makaay in the box; he slams his shot past a bemused Lehmann, but the assistant's flag saves the Gunners.

SUB: Pizarro off, Guerrero on. Who is he? He's a young Peruvian striker, with dreadlocked hair and a spunky attitude.

I'm in the mood for dishing out some blame, and the third goal was definitely down to Lehmann's misjudgment.

GOAL! Frings sends over a cross, Lehmann flaps, Salihamidzic steals in at the far post to volley in to an empty net. Absolutely catastrophic for Arsenal.

Reyes finds Lauren in some space, his cross is put out for a corner. Can Arsenal sneak a crucial away goal? Perhaps, but not from this attack: Bayern clear.

Two more strong Bayern challenges go unpenalised by the referee; there's a very definite pattern here.

Another sliced clearance, this time from Cygan, gifts Bayern a throw. Arsenal look very deflated; they'd started the second half so well, and now find themselves two down.

Without wanting to sound as though I'm picking on Toure, it was another awful error; he completely lost Pizarro.

GOAL! From the resulting free-kick, Pizarro manages to lose Toure and steer a header in to the corner. No chance Lehmann.

SUB: Scholl on for Ze Roberto. Demichelis is floored by Cliche. Free-kick to Bayern.

Scholl is undressing on the Bayern bench. Presumably he's been told he's shortly to make an appearance.

Pires goes down in the box under a Kovac tackle. Replays show the Frenchman was certainly pushed, but he went down like a schoolgirl.

Arsenal look a lot keener this half; Wenger, I imagine, had a few words to say in the dressing room.

Salihamidzic heads narrowly wide from Ze Roberto's corner. One half of the stadium thought the ball had flown in to the top corner. They were wrong, and subsequently look a little sheepish.

Already, the first five or six minutes of the second half have produced more chances than the entire first 45 minutes.

Ze Roberto sends over a sensational cross, which Makaay just manages to get on the end of. His first-time shot is well saved by Lehmann, at the expense of a corner.

Ljungberg gets on the end of a through ball and fires in an early shot. Unfortunately for Arsenal, it's straight at Kahn.

Pires finds some space down the right, but his low cross evades Henry. Flamini fails to win a free-kick on the edge of the box after breaking through a couple of challenges.

Lucio stands firm as Flamini breaks through the middle. Much brighter already from the English side.

Great start to the second period for Arsenal as Reyes bursts in to the box and fires a low shot in to the side netting. Ljungberg, awaiting a cross at the far post, looks a little rueful.

Henry grins manically as he walks out for the second half. I wonder what he can have to be so happy about?

HALF TIME: In truth, a very average half of football. Bayern have the lead though, and will be delighted to go in a goal up. Arsenal have a lot of work to do in the second period.

Sagnol cuts inside and almost finds Makaay in the box. Lehmann collects easily, though.

Ljungberg is floored by a heavy challenge. Not a pleasant night to be lieing on the turf. Vieira voices his displeasure towards the referee.

Cliche, bereft of options on the edge of the Bayern box, decides to shoot. His effort, weak and wayward, is deflected very close to Kahn's goal. Corner, cleared by Bayern.

Reyes, frustrated after being stopped by Sagnol, clips the Frenchman's heels in an act of revenge. Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold.

Reyes brilliantly finds Henry in the box with a lovely lofted pass, but the Frenchman's volley towards goal is very ugly indeed. He was off-side anyway.

Bayern have barely had the ball in the last fifteen minutes, though Arsenal have been unable to create anything.

SUB: Edu off, Flamini on. An injury to the Brazilian sees him limp off with a scowl.

Referee Nielson has a quiet word with Reyes, concerned about some unspecified misdemeanour. Not sure what that's about.

Bayern are defending in numbers and working really hard to protect this lead. I think Arsenal might have their work cut out.

The visitors are coming in to the game a bit more as the half progresses. No real chances yet, but a lot more possession than the home side.

Arsenal are becoming increasingly annoyed at the strength of Bayern's tackles; this time it's Vieira who is up-ended. No free kick, though.

Henry almost pounces on a laboured back-pass by Demechelis.

A slight misunderstanding between Lucio and Kahn results in an Arsenal corner. Again, it comes to nothing. Kahn looks very imposing this evening. Scary, even. A real giant of a man. Very square jaw, too. On reflection, he looks a little like Canadian rocker Neil Young.

A few strong challenges have been allowed to pass by Referee Neilson. Another little fact for you: tonight, he becomes the first referee to take charge of 50 Champions League matches.

Reyes wins a corner for Arsenal after a little 'give-and-go' with Ljungberg. It comes to nothing, however. Strangely, Oliver Kahn also seems to be being booed. There isn't a lot of love in the Olympic Stadium tonight.

Toure makes another hash of a clearance, but there is no Bayern player close enough to take advantage.

Hey Bobby: what is the French for 'Pull your finger out'? It's still early, but Pires really doesn't look very enthusiastic this evening.

Cygan slides in to deny Frings the chance to send over a cross, but Bayern win the corner. Ze Roberto takes it, but Lehmann collects easily.

Good tackle from Cliche prevents Salihamidzic breaking down the right. The Bayern number 20 is then flagged off-side when found in space in the box.

Nine Arsenal players are wearing gloves, compared to only four from Bayern. Does that tell us anything about the respective sides? No, perhaps not.

It's all very congested in the middle of the park, but Arsenal manage to win themselves a throw in a dangerous position.

Ze Roberto wins a corner for the home side, but Arsenal deal with the threat in some style. Henry finds himself surrounded by black shirts however, and Bayern win possession back.

Makaay gets free down the right, but his cross is fluffed and cleared by Toure. Demichelis is booked for a rough tackle on Edu.

Henry and Reyes combine to get Ljungberg in to the box, but his header is weak and straight at Kahn. Arsenal are, at least, looking a little more settled now.

Bayern are moving to a new stadium in May. Did you know that? Stick with me; it's an education. Wonderful piece of skill from Reyes almost releases Henry.

Pizarro darts in to the box, beats Lauren but can't find a Bayern player with his cross. He looks very sharp tonight.

Henry gets on the end of a through ball, but is adjudged off-side. At the risk of stating the obvious, Arsenal really haven't made a good start here.

The home crowd are booing Lehmann every time he touches the ball. I'm not entirely sure why.

It really was a poor effort from Toure; Kahn hoofed a long clearance which Toure stumbled under, allowing Peruvian Piazzaro to sprint on to the loose ball and fire under Lehmann.

GOAL! Horrible mistake from Toure leads to Pizarro slamming home a great volley from the edge of the area. Great start from the home side.

Ljungberg seems to be operating down the left-hand side for Arsenal, with Bobby Pires down the right.

Lizarazu beats Vieira down the left and fires in a cross, which Lehmann is forced to palm away at the near post. He comfortably collects the corner, though.

We're off. The pitch looks in excellent condition, despite the weather. Apparently, it's two degrees below zero down there.

It has been snowing all week in Munich, but the pitch has been cleared and the show goes on.

Join us live at 19.45 as Roy Makaay attempts to shoot down the Gunners, who are without top defender Sol Campbell.

GOAL! Frings sends over a cross, Lehmann flaps, Salihamidzic steals in at the far post to volley in to an empty net. Absolutely catastrophic for Arsenal.

Reyes finds Lauren in some space, his cross is put out for a corner. Can Arsenal sneak a crucial away goal? Perhaps, but not from this attack: Bayern clear.

Two more strong Bayern challenges go unpenalised by the referee; there's a very definite pattern here.

Another sliced clearance, this time from Cygan, gifts Bayern a throw. Arsenal look very deflated; they'd started the second half so well, and now find themselves two down.

Without wanting to sound as though I'm picking on Toure, it was another awful error; he completely lost Pizarro.

GOAL! From the resulting free-kick, Pizarro manages to lose Toure and steer a header in to the corner. No chance Lehmann.

SUB: Scholl on for Ze Roberto. Demichelis is floored by Cliche. Free-kick to Bayern.

Scholl is undressing on the Bayern bench. Presumably he's been told he's shortly to make an appearance.

Pires goes down in the box under a Kovac tackle. Replays show the Frenchman was certainly pushed, but he went down like a schoolgirl.

Arsenal look a lot keener this half; Wenger, I imagine, had a few words to say in the dressing room.

Salihamidzic heads narrowly wide from Ze Roberto's corner. One half of the stadium thought the ball had flown in to the top corner. They were wrong, and subsequently look a little sheepish.

Already, the first five or six minutes of the second half have produced more chances than the entire first 45 minutes.

Ze Roberto sends over a sensational cross, which Makaay just manages to get on the end of. His first-time shot is well saved by Lehmann, at the expense of a corner.

Ljungberg gets on the end of a through ball and fires in an early shot. Unfortunately for Arsenal, it's straight at Kahn.

Pires finds some space down the right, but his low cross evades Henry. Flamini fails to win a free-kick on the edge of the box after breaking through a couple of challenges.

Lucio stands firm as Flamini breaks through the middle. Much brighter already from the English side.

Great start to the second period for Arsenal as Reyes bursts in to the box and fires a low shot in to the side netting. Ljungberg, awaiting a cross at the far post, looks a little rueful.

Henry grins manically as he walks out for the second half. I wonder what he can have to be so happy about?

HALF TIME: In truth, a very average half of football. Bayern have the lead though, and will be delighted to go in a goal up. Arsenal have a lot of work to do in the second period.

Sagnol cuts inside and almost finds Makaay in the box. Lehmann collects easily, though.

Ljungberg is floored by a heavy challenge. Not a pleasant night to be lieing on the turf. Vieira voices his displeasure towards the referee.

Cliche, bereft of options on the edge of the Bayern box, decides to shoot. His effort, weak and wayward, is deflected very close to Kahn's goal. Corner, cleared by Bayern.

Reyes, frustrated after being stopped by Sagnol, clips the Frenchman's heels in an act of revenge. Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold.

Reyes brilliantly finds Henry in the box with a lovely lofted pass, but the Frenchman's volley towards goal is very ugly indeed. He was off-side anyway.

Bayern have barely had the ball in the last fifteen minutes, though Arsenal have been unable to create anything.

SUB: Edu off, Flamini on. An injury to the Brazilian sees him limp off with a scowl.

Referee Nielson has a quiet word with Reyes, concerned about some unspecified misdemeanour. Not sure what that's about.

Bayern are defending in numbers and working really hard to protect this lead. I think Arsenal might have their work cut out.

The visitors are coming in to the game a bit more as the half progresses. No real chances yet, but a lot more possession than the home side.

Arsenal are becoming increasingly annoyed at the strength of Bayern's tackles; this time it's Vieira who is up-ended. No free kick, though.

Henry almost pounces on a laboured back-pass by Demechelis.

A slight misunderstanding between Lucio and Kahn results in an Arsenal corner. Again, it comes to nothing. Kahn looks very imposing this evening. Scary, even. A real giant of a man. Very square jaw, too. On reflection, he looks a little like Canadian rocker Neil Young.

A few strong challenges have been allowed to pass by Referee Neilson. Another little fact for you: tonight, he becomes the first referee to take charge of 50 Champions League matches.

Reyes wins a corner for Arsenal after a little 'give-and-go' with Ljungberg. It comes to nothing, however. Strangely, Oliver Kahn also seems to be being booed. There isn't a lot of love in the Olympic Stadium tonight.

Toure makes another hash of a clearance, but there is no Bayern player close enough to take advantage.

Hey Bobby: what is the French for 'Pull your finger out'? It's still early, but Pires really doesn't look very enthusiastic this evening.

Cygan slides in to deny Frings the chance to send over a cross, but Bayern win the corner. Ze Roberto takes it, but Lehmann collects easily.

Good tackle from Cliche prevents Salihamidzic breaking down the right. The Bayern number 20 is then flagged off-side when found in space in the box.

Nine Arsenal players are wearing gloves, compared to only four from Bayern. Does that tell us anything about the respective sides? No, perhaps not.

It's all very congested in the middle of the park, but Arsenal manage to win themselves a throw in a dangerous position.

Ze Roberto wins a corner for the home side, but Arsenal deal with the threat in some style. Henry finds himself surrounded by black shirts however, and Bayern win possession back.

Makaay gets free down the right, but his cross is fluffed and cleared by Toure. Demichelis is booked for a rough tackle on Edu.

Henry and Reyes combine to get Ljungberg in to the box, but his header is weak and straight at Kahn. Arsenal are, at least, looking a little more settled now.

Bayern are moving to a new stadium in May. Did you know that? Stick with me; it's an education. Wonderful piece of skill from Reyes almost releases Henry.

Pizarro darts in to the box, beats Lauren but can't find a Bayern player with his cross. He looks very sharp tonight.

Henry gets on the end of a through ball, but is adjudged off-side. At the risk of stating the obvious, Arsenal really haven't made a good start here.

The home crowd are booing Lehmann every time he touches the ball. I'm not entirely sure why.

It really was a poor effort from Toure; Kahn hoofed a long clearance which Toure stumbled under, allowing Peruvian Piazzaro to sprint on to the loose ball and fire under Lehmann.

GOAL! Horrible mistake from Toure leads to Pizarro slamming home a great volley from the edge of the area. Great start from the home side.

Ljungberg seems to be operating down the left-hand side for Arsenal, with Bobby Pires down the right.

Lizarazu beats Vieira down the left and fires in a cross, which Lehmann is forced to palm away at the near post. He comfortably collects the corner, though.

We're off. The pitch looks in excellent condition, despite the weather. Apparently, it's two degrees below zero down there.

It has been snowing all week in Munich, but the pitch has been cleared and the show goes on.

Join us live at 19.45 as Roy Makaay attempts to shoot down the Gunners, who are without top defender Sol Campbell.