by Darren Walsh
Stronger team than what was being talked about for Arsenal. Wojciech Szczesny is rested; it’s obviously tiring to never stop talking about other team’s prospects.
Not even an ounce of optimism among the RTE panel. At least give us a reason to watch, lads!
Rough start for our commentators as the link goes down. We have to go back to the studio and the pundits basically have to repeat their thoughts from earlier.
There’s an anti-racism message to be given out before the match, and while Lahm is all ready to go, his counterpart is off with the rest of his team, leaving Lahm and the officials looking around confused.
Match starts and the panel keep talking; don’t think I’ve seen such technical problems with commentary in years. It’s a connection to Munich in 2013, not a line to Poland in 1985.
Commentary is back, and straight away I wish it hadn’t as we get a stat from George Hamilton about Bayern not losing in 10 CL matches, as long as you take out the one they lost. I always hate when people quantify stats like that.
Three minutes in and Giroud batters one in from close range. Well that’s set things up nicely hasn’t it? And just like that, the commentary has gone again.
Eamon Dunphy slips in a quip that careers are on the line here, but he’s really talking about the sound engineers at RTE rather than the footballers. I don’t know who he’s trying to kid; everyone knows that RTE don’t sack anyone.
They’ve given up, and we switch to the RTE Radio commentary. Unfortunately we’re now going to get very detailed descriptions of what’s happening when we don’t need it.
Three pairs of eyes between the ref and his assistants, and still a simple corner decision is missed.
George and Ray are back; it hasn’t been a wasted trip to Munich for them after all.
Munich are forced back and Rosicky wants his teammates to push up, waving his arm in such a way that it looks like he’s going to deliver a yorker.
I think Clive Tyldesley is having a bad effect on me; I’m now using cricket analogies to describe football situations.
For all the criticism that Lukasz Fabianski gets from fans, tonight he’s constantly shouting and cajoling his defence. He’s taking charge and showing the leadership that is needed in that team.
Munich seem to be in a bit of a daze, just being a split second slow to react to each situation. So many loose passes too, they’d better up their game or this could turn into a real nail biter for them.
Gibbs cleans out Robben and gets booked while protesting that he won the ball. It was a poor attempt but Robben getting clattered is never a bad thing for me.
So that first half was pretty much event-free after the goal. Munich need a boot up the backside, while Arsenal need to force the issue a little more.
Faster pace from Munich already to start the second half. Robben shoots just past the post.
Giroud can be a fairly effective target man and has scored a few goals, but he doesn’t half overestimate his own ability sometimes. The counter attack is on, but when he gets the ball wide right about 30 yards out, he lets it bounce and balloons a half volley over the bar.
Ohh poor offside decision on Walcott there. Arsenal can’t afford to have those types of poor decisions go against them.
A clear chance, at last. Robben is clean through but Fabianski saves by standing up well.
Robben skies a shot over; we then get a graphic that says Bayern have had 19 shots with just 6 on target. It sounds like a high amount, if anything.
Once again the linesman covering the far side has a shocker; Arsenal should have a clear corner.
Nifty footwork by Gervinho to create a shot for himself, rolls past the far post though.
Robben shows why I hate him all in one move; he should play in Gomez as he’s running through the middle, but instead keeps it himself and creates a nonsense obstruction foul for himself when he runs into Mertesacker.
Muller has a chance to break but falls over the ball. I think that just about sums up the quality of this game.
First corner of the game for Arsenal, and they make it count. Koscielny heads it in and it’s game on with 5 minutes left. Neuer is up quick to hold onto the ball after it goes in, and we have a good old fashioned scrum in the net as Arsenal try to get the ball back for the kick off.
Robben can cross for three teammates but he shoots and gets it blocked, and Arsenal can counter with them taken out of the game. Absolutely brainless.
Arteta with some needless fouls to take away any momentum, it must be all over.
The chance was there for Arsenal, but they didn’t really do enough between the two goals. I thought Munich were the favourites to win the whole tournament, but they showed absolutely nothing and should be ashamed of that non-performance.
