Arsene Wenger confirms David Ospina, not Petr Cech, will line-up against Bayern Munich, although Mesut Ozil left to sweat on his place
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists back-up goalkeeper David Ospina is owed a place in the side after confirming he will start Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 first-leg clash against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
Ospina is set to make his ninth appearance of the season and play ahead of regular No1 Petr Cech, who is the only member of the Gunners squad to win Europe’s top prize – for Chelsea in 2012.
Despite not featuring during the group stage of the competition, Cech was in contention to return against the German champions, although Wenger is adamant that Arsenal are in debt to Colombian Ospina, 28, for their place in the knockout phase.
“We have nothing to hide,” said Wenger. “It will be David Ospina and it’s because of the quality of his performances.
“We are in the last 16 and finished top of the group. If you analyse as well his performances in every single game, we are where we are basically down to his great performances.”
Wenger was less enthusiastic about quashing speculation that World Cup-winning playmaker Mesut Ozil will be dropped following a string of laboured performances.
“I will pick the team in the morning but we play in Germany and you will see that Ozil is highly focused to have a good performance,” added the Frenchman, who refused to answer any questions relating to his own future.
Arsenal have not reached the Champions League quarter-finals since the 2009-10 campaign, having stumbled at the last-16 hurdle in each of the last six campaigns.
While topping their group failed to prevent the Gunners drawing one of the continent’s heavyweights in the opening knockout round, Wenger remains convinced that home advantage in the second leg could yet prove critical.
“We play against a Bayern side who for every year the same task is to win the Champions League,” said Wenger as he urged his team to practise “efficient defensive” football.
“When you look at their record, they are always basically in the last four, so it is a massive challenge but we are capable of dealing with it.
“We have an advantage to play the second game at home. But we know as well every minute of tomorrow’s game will have a big influence on our chances at home to knock them out.”
Bayern’s former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti, meanwhile, offered support to Wenger, who continues to polarise opinion amongst Arsenal supporters growing weary of the club’s inability to sustain challenges for top honours.
“Wenger has the experience to know in our job it’s normal to be criticised, so I think that for this reason he has no problem,” said Ancelotti. “He built a strong identity in this club, a really good style of football, so I have a lot of respect for his job at Arsenal.”
Gunners forward Lucas Perez has been ruled out of the clash with a hamstring injury, although defender Per Mertesacker is in the travelling party.