Bayern Munich vs Arsenal. International Champions Cup.
Shanghai Stadium.
Arsenal win 3-2 on penalties.
Wednesday 19 July 2017 16:43, UK
Alex Iwobi's last-gasp header set Arsenal up for a 3-2 penalty shootout victory over Bayern Munich following a 1-1 draw in their opening International Champions Cup clash on Wednesday.
Bayern took the lead on nine minutes through Robert Lewandowski's penalty, sending Petr Cech the wrong way after Ainsley Maitland-Niles' soft nudge brought down Juan Bernat in the box.
But Iwobi equalised in the fourth minute of stoppage time, heading superbly into the bottom corner from Aaron Ramsey's cross as Arsenal broke.
Alexandre Lacazette started his second straight game for Arsenal, but was brought off at half-time, while Per Mertesacker was replaced just before kick-off by Mohamed Elneny at centre-back due to illness.
After Lewandowski netted the opener, Bayern had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside as Corentin Tolisso finished off Thomas Muller's flick on, but while the Germans dominated the ball in the first half, Arsenal did have their chances on the break.
First Mesut Ozil could only find the body of Tom Starke on the volley from Danny Welbeck's superb ball, before Starke also got the better of Lacazette as the Frenchman was released one-on-one from Ozil's through ball.
James then forced Cech into a fine save after being found in acres of space at the far post from a quickly-taken free-kick, one of 20 attempts on the Arsenal goal to the Gunners' six.
Colombian James, who joined Bayern on a two-year loan from Real earlier this month, should have scored after the break, but Cech was again down low to save superbly from Kinglsey Coman's ball across the face of goal.
Sub Theo Walcott had one of Arsenal's best chances in the second half, forcing Christian Fruchtl into a save when passing to Iwobi looked the better option, as the Gunners changed from a back three to a back four after the break.
They got their leveller with the last touch of normal time, Iwobi guiding his header into the bottom right corner from sub Ramsey's deft cross from the left flank as Renato Sanches was caught in possession for Bayern in midfield.
David Alaba, Sanches and Bernat all missed for Bayern in the shootout, while Ramsey, Nacho Monreal and Iwobi made no mistake as Arsenal took the points in Shanghai.