MUNICH, Germany -- Three thoughts from the Allianz Arena as a flurry of goals early in the second half gave Bayern Munich an emphatic 5-1 victory over Arsenal in their Champions League round of 16 first leg.
1. Aging Bayern win at half-pace
It seems churlish to even make the point but Bayern Munich's class of 2017 are a pale imitation of Jupp Heynckes' 2013 Champions League winners, or the team which reached three successive semi-finals in Pep Guardiola. Yet they still defeated Arsenal in humiliating fashion without really needing to break a sweat.
Aside from a brief flurry either side of Alexis Sanchez's first-half equaliser, when the Arsenal forward converted his saved penalty at the second attempt, Arsene Wenger's team were out-played, out-passed and out-thought by the Bundesliga leaders.