Advantage Bayern!

Bayern Munich 3 Arsenal 1

It was by no means the first time that Arsenal had frozen on the big occasion in the Champions League.

However, this time, on a bitterly cold night in Munich, they did so both literally and professionally as their Champions League hopes were dealt a severe blow by a vibrant Bayern side.

The only hope for Arsenal on a night of defensive suicide came late on as Kolo Toure struck a vital away goal that at least gave the visitors a glimmer of hope for the second leg of this last-16 tie.

However, there were still 3-1 down and, while a 2-0 win at Highbury would now suffice, what price this porous Arsenal defence keeping a clean sheet?

The Gunners’ history is already littered with far more troughs than peaks and they suffered another setback as they fell behind after just four minutes.

It was an too familiar tale as, without either Sol Campbell or Ashley Cole, Arsenal wilted at the back as Toure’s mistake allowed Claudio Pizarro to strike from close-range.

The Gunners’ defensive inadequacies returned to haunt them again on 58 minutes as Pizarro was left unmarked to head home substitute Mehmet Scholl’s free-kick.

And while Jens Lehmann could not be faulted for either of those goals, he was hardly impressive as Hasan Salihamidzic inflicted Bayern’s third blow on 65 minutes.

Toure’s late strike at least muted the celebrations in Munich and the goal also provided some relief for the Ivory Coast defender.

For he had been clearly at fault for Bayern’s early opening goal as, under little obvious pressure when Oliver Kahn’s long clearance reached him, he inexplicably headed the ball into the air.

Peruvian Pizarro gave Lehmann no chance with an excellent first-time volley and Arsenal were already up against it.

With Freddie Ljungberg in behind Thierry Henry, they at least started to dominate possession in midfield but this was not translated into any meaningful pressure or chances.

Indeed, Henry and Pires were both peripheral figures as Bayern simply sat back and soaked up the Arsenal pressure.

That led to frustrations for the visitors, with Patrick Vieira booked for dissent after complaining to referee Kim Milton Nielsen that Willy Sagnol had dived after being challenged by Jose Antonio Reyes.

Arsenal were also forced into a change when Edu’s hamstring problems returned and Mathieu Flamini replaced him with 10 minutes left before half-time.

Still, they struggled to make an impression in attack and it was only when Clichy’s long-range effort received a wicked deflection that Kahn even looked in trouble, although the ball ran wide for a corner.

Arsene Wenger’s men roused themselves into action after the interval, with Reyes’ effort hitting the side netting, while Ljungberg shot straight at Kahn.

But it was still Lehmann – up against his international rival, Kahn – who had to produce a superb reaction save to deny Roy Makaay from close range.

Pascal Cygan failed to cut out Ze Roberto’s deep cross, but Lehmann clawed Makaay’s shot around the post, with Hasan Salihamidzic flicking the ensuing corner just wide.

Bayern coach Felix Magathe made a tactical switch on 57 minutes with Scholl replacing Ze Roberto and the substitute instantly delivered the free-kick from which Pizarro put Bayern 2-0 ahead.

Once again, Arsenal’s marking was abysmal, with Toure so late in closing the Peru striker down that he actually managed to deflect the ball past Lehmann.

If that seemed bad enough, worse was to follow as Arsenal were exposed for a third time with 64 minutes gone.

This time, Lehmann was caught out of position as he could not reach Torsten Frings’ deep cross and Salihamidzic was – unsurprisingly on a night of defensive confusion – left unmarked to volley home.

Frings was the next to be left in acres of space with only Lehmann to beat but this time he fired his shot into the side-netting.

Lauren was fortunate to escape with a yellow card for a two-footed lunge on Lizarazu, while Wenger brought on Cole with eight minutes left and the need for an away goal now having desperation point.

With two minutes left, there was finally hope. Vieira’s volley struck the crossbar from point-blank range and Toure managed to bury the rebound.

Bayern, who had been virtually assured of their quarter-final place before then, were finally given cause for concern but it will still take a super-human effort to turn this tie around.