Date with Destiny: Gunners need double perfection against Bayern Munich in Champions League

Arsenal will be out to show they have learnt the lessons of last season’s painful home defeat by Bayern Munich when the sides meet again in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in London tonight.

Holders Bayern were utterly dominant in 3-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium, and although Arsenal went on to salvage pride with a 2-0 win in Munich in the return leg, it was not enough to prevent the Gunners going out of the competition in the round of 16 for the third consecutive season.

They face a daunting task to avoid making it four years in a row, however, with the Bayern juggernaut showing little sign of slowing under Pep Guardiola, who led Barcelona to victory over Arsenal at this stage in the 2010-11 season.

Despite recent wobbles, Arsenal are a sterner proposition this time as they mount their first serious Premier League challenge for years, and should be boosted by a 2-1 FA Cup victory over Liverpool, eight days after the same opponents thrashed them 5-1.

German defender Per Mertesacker acknowledged that it would take “two perfect games” for Arsenal to progress, but that it was important not to show Bayern too much respect

“We have to go for two perfect games against them. We know we can beat them now, so maybe mentally we are in a better condition than last year. We respected them too much in the first leg then, so it was too easy for them. Maybe we have learned something from those lessons and will do better this time,” he said.

“Now we have another chance and an opportunity to beat the champions. We want to achieve something exceptional this season, so we have to beat the best.

“That is not only Manchester City and Chelsea, that is Bayern Munich in the Champions League.”

Midfielder Mikel Arteta is suspended after being sent off in the group stage loss to Napoli, while Jack Wilshere and Bacary Sagna, who remained on the bench against Liverpool, Kieran Gibbs and Santi Cazorla, who were second half substitutes and Tomas Rosicky, who was rested will return.

Bayern’s domestic dominance shows no sign of slowing, with Saturday’s 4-0 win over Freiburg coming despite Jerome Boateng, David Alaba, Thiago and Mario Goetze being rested.

Their Bundesliga winning streak is 13 matches and victory extended their unbeaten run to 46. Their only loss in this season’s Champions League group stage came at home to Manchester City, with qualification already assured.

They will be without France winger Franck Ribery, who is suffering with a buttock injury, and his potential replacement Xherdan Shaqiri, who scored twice against Freiburg, is also out with a thigh strain.

In Italy, Clarence Seedorf will need to tap into all the experience he gained as the only player to win the Champions League with three different clubs if his AC Milan side are to get past Atletico Madrid into the quarter-finals.

Milan host the Spanish club, who are riding high in La Liga, for their last 16, first leg on Wednesday, when Seedorf will make his coaching debut in Europe’s elite club competition after taking over last month from Massimiliano Allegri.

— Reuters