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Arsenal take on Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 clash tonight, in a repeat of the tie that saw them knocked out at the same stage of the competition last season. The fixture sees two of Europe’s leading sides go head to head, with German’s league leaders taking on the Premier League’s current second placed side.
Such a pulsating clash got us comparing the two team’s respective squads here at Squawka HQ. Here’s the side that we would pick as a combined XI of the two teams – we have taken only taken into consideration players that are fit for this game.
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Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer
Germany’s number one edges out Arsenal’s Wojciech Szczesny to take the number one shirt in our side. Both Szczesny and Neuer have enviable defensive records in this season’s competition, having both kept three clean sheets from six games and conceded just five goals each.
However, Neuer has made averaged two saves per game in this season’s Champions League, to Szczesny’s 1.3, and has also kept 13 clean sheets in the Bundesliga.
Right-Back: Bacary Sagna
Resurgent this season, following an indifferent season last year, Sagna makes out team ahead of Bayern’s Rafinha. Sagna has won 70% of his headed duels in this season’s Champions League, winning 19 of the 27 that he has contested, and has also achieved a 67% tackle success rate during the competition.
The French defender, who is still yet to sign a new contract at the club, was also active going forward for Arsenal providing four chances, including one assist.
Centre-Back: Dante
Brazilian centre-back Dante has made 21 clearances in this season’s Champions League, more than any other Bayern player. The 30 year old has also made seven interceptions and has a success rate of 60% in attempted tackles.
He has also performed well aerially during the group stages, winning five of his eight headed duels.
Centre Back: Laurent Koscielny
One half of Arsenal’s impressive central defensive partnership, Koscielny makes out side following a group stage campaign in which just three sides conceded fewer goals than Arsenal.
The Frenchman won 80% of his tackles and 67% of his headed duels over the group stages and made 18 interceptions – behind only Kieran Gibbs among the Arsenal side.
Left-Back: David Alaba
Scorer of goals against both CSKA and Viktoria in the group stages, Alaba makes our side at left-back. The 21 year-old also provided one assist and completed 91% of his passes during the opening six games.
Defensively, the left back made seven tackles – three more than Arsenal rival Kieran Gibbs – seven interceptions and 12 clearances.
Central Midfield: Philipp Lahm
Lahm makes our side in the holding midfield position, having made 93% of his passes since the start of this year’s competition. This has seen him create ten chances for Bayern, including one assist.
The German has also proven solid defensively. He won 63% of his attempted tackles and 83% of his headed duels during the group stages of the competition.
Central Midfield: Toni Kroos
No Bayern player made more passes than Kroos during the competition’s group stages, with the German finding a Bayern teammate 501 times – 146 times more than any other Bayern player.
As well as the sheer volume of passes Kroos also proved accurate, with a pass completion rate of 95%, and creative, with ten chances created.
Central Midfield: Jack Wilshere
The only English representative in our side, Wilshere lines up in midfield for our combined side. The Englishman created four chances during the group stages and also scored twice, making him the side’s joint highest goalscorer in spite of starting just half of the fixtures.
Wilshere’s form has significantly improved since the conclusion of the group stages, coinciding with the 22 year old reverting to his favoured central midfield role, and the Arsenal man has on average created two chances per game across his last six Premier League outings.
Left Midfield: Mesut Ozil
Despite patchy form of late, Ozil was one of Arsenal’s stand out players in the group stages. The German created 16 chances across his six appearances, averaging one every 33 minutes spent on the pitch.
Ozil created 38% of Arsenal’s chances during the group stages, creating at least four times the number of chances of any other Arsenal player, and also chipped in with a goal against Napoli.
Right Midfield: Arjen Robben
Netherlands international winger Robben scored three goals across his four group stage appearances, adding to the seven Bundesliga goals that he has scored.
He also completed 15 take-ons during the group stages, and created ten chances, providing three assists.
Striker: Mario Mandzukic
Croatian forward Mandzukic sees off competition from Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud to lead the line for our combined XI, having scored two goals during his four group stage appearances. As well as his goals, Mandzukic provided one assist and finished the group stages with a towering 71% success rate from his headed duels.
The 27 year-old is Bayern’s top scorer in the Bundesliga this season, with 12 goals, averaging a domestic goal every 109 minutes.
