Slegers relishing chance to renew Champions League rivalry with Bayern

Renee Slegers is relishing the chance to renew Arsenal's rivalry with Bayern Munich in the Champions League as the two teams square off at Allianz Arena on Wednesday. 

On their way to a second European title, Arsenal began their group campaign with a thumping 5-2 defeat to Bayern as they continued their poor start to the 2024-25 campaign. 

And following a loss against Chelsea in the Women's Super League, former boss Jonas Eidevall resigned from his position after three years in charge, with Slegers taking over. 

Under Slegers, Arsenal went unbeaten in eleven matches across all competitions and qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League after finishing top of their group, confirmed after a 3-2 triumph against Bayern at home. 

Bayern and Arsenal have met four times previously in the Champions League, with all four games being won by the home side, and Slegers is expecting another tough test for her side, who drew with Chelsea in the WSL last weekend. 

"It's less than a year ago since we played against them. They still have quite some players that are similar in their qualities," Slegers told reporters.

"I think they still pose the same threat from set-pieces, for example, and how they create. They're a really good team.

"They rotate, and they try to create problems for the opposition. So I have very high respect for Bayern because we know the last two games they played against them were tight. 

"So I look forward to the game. We look forward to the challenge. I think it's two really good teams going against each other tomorrow."

Slegers credited their last fixture with Bayern as a huge turning point in their season, with Mariona Caldentey's 86th-minute penalty sealing all three points. 

From there, the Gunners came back from first-leg deficits against Real Madrid and Lyon, respectively, in the quarter and semi-finals to reach the showpiece match. 

And they produced the goods in the final against Barcelona, emerging victorious 1-0 to lift their second Champions League crown, 18 years after their first, which is the biggest gap between two trophies for a single club in the tournament's history. 

Slegers also became the first Dutch manager to win the Champions League, and the third overall across the men's or women's competition, after Louis van Gaal (1995 with Ajax) and Frank Rijkaard (2006 with Barcelona).

"I think I've done a few interviews since. Of course, that was a big part of our journey to the Champions League. But it was also a big part of our journey as a team," Slegers said.

"For me, that game was crucial in how I see the team, where I see the potential, not only from a football perspective. 

"Of course, I've always believed in this team and the quality we have. But the resilience that we showed in that game and how we found a way to win in very hard conditions. 

"It was raining. It was windy. They posed a lot of threats to us with set-pieces and direct play at times and movements. 

"We deal with it as a team, and we get the win over the line somehow because it wasn't always beautiful. 

"So, that for me was a crucial moment in the journey in the Champions League. But bigger was the journey of us as a team from a mentality perspective."

Arsenal lost the first game of the league phase against Lyon this season, but bounced back with a win against Benfica, though they will face a stern test away to Bayern. 

Indeed, Bayern have won each of their four home games against English clubs in the Champions League (two against Arsenal and Chelsea), the only nation they have hosted more than twice and boast a 100% win rate against.