Aaron Ramsey believes Bayern Munich could “panic” if Arsenal are able to make a fast start tonight in their bid to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
The Gunners must overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit in the Allianz Arena to avoid exiting the competition at the last-16 stage for the fourth consecutive season.
Defending champions Bayern are overwhelming favourites to progress having lost only three of their last 24 home matches in Europe — but one of those defeats was inflicted by Arsenal almost exactly a year ago.
Arsene Wenger’s side won 2-0 after a hugely impressive performance in Germany. But with the aggregate score locked at 3-3, Arsenal were knocked out on the away goals rule.
However, they remain the last side to stop Bayern scoring and Ramsey insists Arsenal are capable of pulling off an improbable success against a team who have won 16 consecutive German league games.
Mesut Ozil missed a ninth-minute penalty that would have given Arsenal the lead in the first leg before goals from Toni Kroos and Thomas Mueller enabled the Germans to take control of the tie.
“We have proven it before — everyone wrote us off when they beat us 3-1 at home and we got a couple of goals and they were nervous,” said Ramsey.
Arsenal prepare for Bayern Munich
“We had chances to score the third as well. Any side will panic if you put the pressure on them and Bayern are no different.
“They are a great side but I thought, in the first 15 minutes of the first leg, we were quite breathtaking at times and we had a few opportunities early on which you have to take against a team like that. Up until we missed the penalty, I thought we were the better side. Things happened then, like the sending off, that changed the game completely.
“Playing against Bayern Munich with a man down is tough — it is hard enough when you have 11 men on the pitch.”
The 23-year-old, who won the Player of the Year prize at the Willow Foundation’s London Football Legends Awards last week, added: “They used the extra man extremely well, kept their wide players very wide, which stretched us, and moved the ball well.
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“The second goal was disappointing in the end because if we had gone in 1-0 down, we would have been more than happy with that considering the circumstances but we have been there and won 2-0 before.
“We are confident, we will go into the game knowing anything can happen in football. We are looking forward to it.”
Ramsey will miss tonight’s game but is understood to be winning his race to play some part in Sunday’s north London derby at Tottenham having not featured since Boxing Day due to a thigh injury.
