Loss to Olympiakos puts Arsenal on brink of Champions League elimination
For Arsenal, it's time to panic.
A 3-2 home loss to Olympiakos on Tuesday immediately put its Champions League campaign on life support with zero points after two games. But it figures to get worse. The Gunners will face Bayern Munich on Matchdays 3 and 4 – first at home, then away. Bayern is the only team that remains perfect in Europe's top leagues with seven victories in seven Bundesliga games, and beating Arsenal twice to win Group F of the Champions League appears a mere formality for the Bavarians. Bayern is the best team in Europe – and by some distance.
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If Bayern Munich beats the Gunners in consecutive meetings and puts them in the hospital, they will be dead on arrival. Arsenal would enter its final two matches with no points and will be effectively eliminated from Europe to end its streak of 15 straight seasons progressing to the Champions League knockout rounds.
Two seasons ago, Zenit Saint-Petersburg advanced to the last 16 with only six points in the group stage. But even that remote sliver of hope would only arrive in London if Arsenal wins its final two matches. In short, the Gunners now need a miracle against the best team in Europe.
So again, for Arsenal, it's time to panic.
The biggest question being asked of manager Arsene Wenger in the wake of this forgettable start in Europe focuses on his decision to start David Ospina over Petr Cech in both Champions League matches. Ospina did not exactly cover himself in glory in the first game, a 2-1 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb. In Tuesday’s loss to Olympiacos, the Colombian keeper made a horrific gaffe that saw the ball cross the goal line. Ospina was correctly charged with an own goal, as Cech – a Champions League winner with Chelsea – sat idly biting his nails on the bench.
Often, one goalkeeper is used for the domestic League, while another is used for cup competitions. This, however, is not any cup competition designed to keep a No. 2 keeper sharp. This is the Champions League, where the best at every position tend to be on display against Europe’s toughest challengers. Choosing Ospina over Cech in this setting is as bizarre as it is unforgivable.
Cech should have played in Arsenal’s first match. And after the Gunners lost the opener, he definitely should have played in the second game. Now, the Czech giant will likely have to play in the third and fourth games, but even an all-time great shot stopper like Cech should have a tough time keeping Bayern Munich off the scoreboard. The Germans have scored 19 goals in their past five matches (3.8 goals per game) across all competitions, including five against Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday.
In truth, placing Cech in goal against Bayern seems like too little, too late.
Arsenal now sits at the bottom of its group and needs a miracle to stay in Europe. Even making the Europa League seems like a stretch at this stage.
Yup, if you're the Gunners, now is a perfect time to panic.
Shahan Ahmed is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. Follow Shahan on Twitter: @ShahanLA and @perfectpass
