UEFA drew Arsenal to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, so what could the Gunners’ route to the 2023/24 final at Wembley potentially look like?
The Gunners are looking to reach only their second-ever Champions League final, with Mikel Arteta’s team striving to echo Arsene Wenger’s 2005/06 squad. FC Barcelona beat Arsenal 2-1 in the final that term after coming from 1-0 behind following Jens Lehmann’s red card.
Arsenal were a perennial Champions League squad under Wenger after reaching UEFA’s elite club competition each term between 1998/99 until 2016/17. But the Frenchman’s sides also lost in the last 16 every year from 2010/11 until 2016/17, a run that Arteta’s team have ended.
Arteta led Arsenal back to the Champions League for the first time in six years by guiding the Emirates Stadium side to a Premier League title fight last season. While David Raya’s penalty shootout heroics secured Arsenal a place in the final eight after denying Porto in the last 16.
Galeno sealed Porto a 1-0 win in the first leg at the Estadio do Dragao with a superb finessed goal. But Martin Odegaard set Leandro Trossard up to drag the tie level on aggregate. It was then Raya’s turn to be the hero as he denied Wendell and Galeno in the shootout to win 4-2.
So, with Arsenal finally back in the Champions League quarter-finals for their first time since 2010, here is a look at the Gunners’ possible route to the 2024 final at Wembley on June 1…
Arsenal’s 2023/24 Champions League group stage results
Arsenal secured their return to the Champions League knockout stages after topping Group B with 13 points across six fixtures. PSV Eindhoven followed the Gunners into the last 16 as the runners-up with nine points. RC Lens dropped into the Europa League with eight points.
Arteta oversaw four wins, one draw and one defeat in the group stage with Lens beating the Gunners 2-1 on October 3, 2023. Gabriel Jesus gifted Arsenal the lead at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. But Adrien Thomasson and Elye Wahi responded to shock the north London natives.
Jesus alongside Bukayo Saka, Trossard and Odegaard had sealed Arsenal a 4-0 win against PSV on the team’s return to the Champions League after six years on September 20. Arsenal also sealed a 2-1 win at and a 2-0 at home to Sevilla before beating Lens 6-0 to go through.
The Gunners’ trip to PSV ended 1-1 on December 12 but carried no significance on Arsenal’s standing in Group B. Thrashing Lens at Emirates Stadium after goals by Kai Havertz, Jesus, Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Odegaard and Jorginho secured Arteta’s team group winner status.
Arsenal’s 2023/24 Champions League last 16 win vs FC Porto
Raya emerged as Arsenal’s hero in the last 16 of the Champions League by saving penalties from Porto pair Wendell and Galeno. The Gunners had fallen to a 1-0 loss at the Estadio do Dragao through Galeno’s stoppage-time strike after Martinelli cheaply turned over the ball.
But Odegaard’s ingenuity sent Trossard through on goal in the 41st minute of the second leg to draw Arsenal level against Porto. The Gunners then rode their luck as Wendell’s spot-kick in the shootout rebounded back off the post and ricocheted clear off the back of Raya’s legs.
Raya may have also gotten his fingertips on Wendell’s kick to see it strike the woodwork. But there was no doubting the on-loan Brentford goalkeeper’s heroics as he dived to his left and comfortably batted away Galeno’s penalty to give Arsenal a 4-2 shootout win against Porto.
Arsenal’s 2023/24 Champions League quarter-final
UEFA drew Arsenal to face Bayern Munich in their first Champions League quarter-final tie in 14 years on March 15. The fixture threw up the two team’s first meeting in any competition since March 2017. Der FCB won their last meeting 10-2 on aggregate in a UCL last 16 fixture.
Bayern Munich won both legs of their 2016/17 match-up with Arsenal 5-1. While their clash this season saw Arsenal face ex-Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane and ex-Spurs centre-back Eric Dier again. Their 2024 quarter-final ties will be played on April 9 and 17 at 20:00.
The first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final tie followed Arteta’s side travelling to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on April 6. While Aston Villa travel to north London on April 14 ahead of their second-leg tie before Arsenal head for Wolves on April 20.
Arsenal rescued a 2-2 draw in their first leg at Emirates Stadium with Trossard scoring in the 76th minute. Saka found the far corner of Manuel Neuer’s goal to break the deadlock on 12 minutes. The Hale End hero punished Dier for inviting the winger to shoot inside FCB’s area.
But mistakes from Raya allowed Bayern Munich to reply and take the lead at Arsenal. Serge Gnabry scored against his former club after Raya mindlessly rushed out to near the halfway line and left Gabriel Magalhaes scrambling for a pass, which he misplaced after stumbling.
Kane’s penalty then gave Bayern Munich a lead after 32 minutes in the first leg after William Saliba fouled Leroy Sane. The former Manchester City winger ran rings around Jakub Kiwior in the first half. Kane punished Saliba’s foul as Raya dived before the striker was set to shoot.
2023/24 Champions League semi-finals
Arsenal or Bayern Munich will play the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid or Manchester City at home. The games will also be played on April 30 or May 1 and May 7 or 8, with their first leg after Arsenal visit Tottenham for the north London derby.
Arteta takes the Gunners to Spurs on April 27 in the Premier League. AFC Bournemouth will visit Arsenal on May 4 in between the two Champions League semi-final legs. Arteta’s squad are then on the road to Manchester United in the top-flight after the second leg on May 11.
2023/24 Champions League final
UEFA has scheduled the 2023/24 Champions League final to take place on Saturday, June 1. Wembley will host the final for a record eighth time over the tournament’s 69 editions. It is also the third time that Wembley has the final in the 32 editions as the Champions League.
Wembley previously hosted a European Cup final with the Champions League name in 2011 and 2013. Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-1 in 2011 via Pedro, Lionel Messi and David Villa’s goals. Arjen Robben gifted Bayern Munich a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in 2013.
The 2023/24 Champions League final is also 13 days after Arsenal play their last game of the Premier League season at home to Everton on May 19. UEFA has scheduled their showpiece fixture to follow the FA Cup final on May 25, which Arsenal crashed out of in the third round.
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