Hamann names ‘not firing’ team to deny Arsenal in the Champions League
Dietmar Hamann has backed one European giant to deny Arsenal the Champions League and a possible quadruple this season.
The Gunners stormed through the Champions League group phase, topping the table with a 100 per cent record, and remain well placed to win all four competitions this season.
After a Premier League wobble they got things back on track with a 4-1 win over Tottenham in the North London derby, and are five points clear of Manchester City, though Pep Guardiola’s side do have a game in hand.
They will also meet City in the Carabao Cup final next month and face Mansfield Town in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
On Arsenal vs Man City in the Premier League title race, Hamann predicted some “edgy moments” for the Gunners.
“For the Arsenal players, they haven’t been Premier League champions,” Hamann told Thunderpick. “And unless you do it, you don’t know you’re capable of doing it.
“So, I think there will be a few edgy moments. But, I think they probably watched Man City beat Liverpool, I think it would have been a huge blow to them, but it makes a big difference to go from losing the game to winning it in four or five minutes.
“I think it’s far from over, even though I don’t think City are great. It’s not the City we used to see, but they find a way of winning games and they know how to win the league.
“They know how to win titles because they’ve got some Premier League winners in the ranks. So yeah, I think it’s game on.”
Arsenal will face either Bayer Leverkusen or Atalanta – after the Serie A side’s dramatic comeback win over Borussia Dortmund – in the Champions League last-16, with the full knockout draw taking place on Friday.
The seedings mean Arsenal can not meet Bayern Munich before the final and Hamann believes that is good news for Mikel Arteta as he would “slightly favour” the Bundesliga leaders despite the Gunners getting the better of them earlier in the season.
READ MORE: Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs and co learn potential Champions League last-16 opponents
Asked whether Bayern Munich could be the team to deny Arsenal in Europe, Hamann added: “Usually in the past, they have always got the better of Arsenal.
“So, I think that was one of the reasons why Arsenal was desperate to show them earlier in the season, you know, this year is our year.
“If you want to come back and maybe beat us in the knockout stages, you’re in for a game. It’s a bit similar to what Bayern Munich wanted to show to PSG, because they played a fantastic game in Paris, a man down, still won the game.
“But Bayern hasn’t been the same team since. Since PSG, the performances haven’t been that dominant. They still won games.
“Obviously, they’ve dropped a few points in the league as well. So Bayern Munich are not firing as they did in the autumn.
“If they do get back to their form, which I’m not too sure about, I would favour Bayern Munich over two games. But it would be a fantastic game because obviously the first game was breathtaking.
“Obviously, they can only play in the final now with the draw. I’d slightly favour Bayern Munich, but I don’t think we’ll get a final Bayern Munich against Arsenal.”
