Arsenal travel to Bayern Munich this Wednesday as their ‘reward’ for topping Group A and booking a slot against a runner-up for the last 16. In truth, any team still in the competition at this stage is still a threat, but it’s hard not to feel a little bit of sympathy for the Gunners, who have been handed some tough draws in recent years.
Alas, this is no foregone conclusion, and the Bavarians are probably looking anxiously at a few of Arsene Wenger’s charges, with Alexis Sanchez in the form of his life, while Mesut Ozil is the sort of player that can change a game in one moment.
As is customary for our Fixtures in Focus here are FootballFanCast, we’ve asked the fans who they would like to transplant from their rivals for this big game and place into their own squad, and the results of our exclusive poll are in. Shockingly, Polish goal machine Robert Lewandowski and German attacker Thomas Muller haven’t even made the top THREE…
3) Manuel Neuer
There’s not better goalkeeper on the planet than Bayern Munich’s Neuer, with the German the complete package. A great shot-stopper, commanding presence and brave enough to be a front-foot ‘sweeper-keeper’, the 30-year-old made the 2014 Ballon d’Or three-man shortlist – no mean feat for a No.1 – and has proven time and time again that he’s a modern-day great.
Arsenal have a top glovesman in Petr Cech, but it seems Gunners fans see Neuer as a dream upgrade.
2) Douglas Costa
No, it’s not Arjen Robben or Franck Ribery that Arsenal fans want from Bayern’s attacking line, it’s Brazilian star Costa. The ex-Shakhtar Donetsk man has been a big hit since his 2015 move to the Allianz Arena, offering a mixture of pace and end product so few players are able to match.
1) David Alaba
And in at number one is Alaba. The Austrian primarily plays his football at left-back, but such is his quality and intelligence that he’s been used to great effect in central midfield for both club and country, while he’s been known to operate as an orthodox winger. The complete modern-day footballer, Arsenal fans would love to have him in their squad.
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Results
