Arsenal vs Bayern Munich Champions League: Pep Guardiola uses usual charm to disguise his attacking intent

Guardiola likes nothing better than to let the opponent have it any way he can, even better when supremacy is imposed on the opponent’s own turf

(AP)

Bayern Munich have yet to lose a game in the Bundesliga or the Champions League this season, a 100 per cent record that features four five-goal routs, a nice nod to the 5-1 aggregate they took from their last two visits to the Emirates Stadium.

And this without injured totems Arjen Robben, out since the first week of September, and long-term casualty Franck Ribéry. Little surprise, then, that their chief executive, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, believes coach Pep Guardiola will sign a contract extension in the new year.

It helps, of course, when you have the world’s most prolific striker, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, shelling peas at a rate of more than two goals a game, 15 in seven for club and country to be exact.

Guardiola was his usual, courteous self showering Arsenal and their manager with compliments. “Wenger is more than just a manager for this club, he is almost everything. He changed the club,” the Bayern coach said.

And, “When a team decide to use [Santi] Cazorla like a playmaker, [it is] the best signal how they want to play. Normally there is a big guy there that runs. That means they play nice football.”

There is also beneath the suited, polite outer a steel core. Guardiola likes nothing better than to let the opponent have it any way he can, even better when supremacy is imposed on the opponent’s own turf.

“I read what Arsenal players said today about aggressive first 10 minutes, push us, press us, the atmosphere. The best way to calm that atmosphere is to have the ball.

“The rules of Fifa say we play with just one ball, not with two, that is the key point. They want the ball, we want the ball, the team who has the ball most, this team will be closer to win the game.”

So Guardiola seeks to impose his will and his high-pressing possession game on the principal disciple of that same template in England. Bayern under Guardiola have the same commitment to possession he preached at Barcelona but do not beat about the bush as much.

He has returned two Bundesliga titles in his two seasons in charge but not yet the Champions League he won at the Nou Camp. This at a club who have contested 10 finals, winning five times, does not meet the expectation. So there will be no let-up this time.

“In football, in life, you are only qualified when qualified. We don’t play six points v nil points. We play 7.45pm, 90 minutes. Reaching the semi-final isn’t good enough for the club, I know that.”