After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

As the league progressed, it came to the end of February.

In late February, Munich was still cold and the sky was overcast.

The Allianz Arena seems a bit unusual today.

As the away team Arsenal's bus slowly approached the Allianz Stadium, an unusual atmosphere immediately arose.

The cheers were much quieter than before.

Yan Yuan had been to Allianz Arena before, so he knew how terrifying the atmosphere was, but something was off today.

He looked at the seats on the sidelines with a puzzled expression.

"Strange, why are there so many empty seats at Allianz Arena today..."

On a typical Champions League match day.

Especially against a strong favorite like Arsenal.

The area around the Allianz Arena must have been bustling with activity by now, with red Bayern flags waving in the wind and the fans' chants deafening.

But today, the streets around the stadium were rather deserted, with far fewer fans gathered than expected.

Some were even sparse.

This feeling of unease became even stronger when players entered the field through the tunnel to warm up.

The magnificent Allianz Stadium, famous for its giant rubber boat-like appearance and color-changing ETFE membrane structure, now has large swaths of empty seats in the stands.

Especially the south stand.

The area where Bayern Munich's die-hard supporters stood was now rather sparse, far less dense and imposing than it used to be.

The cheers inside the stadium seemed to be covered by a veil; although they still had rhythm, the volume was much reduced.

It always feels like something is missing.

Sky Sports commentators also keenly noticed this.

"Welcome to the Allianz Arena in Munich! Tonight, we'll be watching the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16, a highly anticipated match between Bayern Munich and Arsenal!" The commentator's opening remarks were as energetic as ever, but the tone quickly shifted...

"However, I don't know if it's just my imagination, but the atmosphere at Allianz Stadium tonight seems...not as lively as usual? There are quite a few empty seats in the stands."

Another commentator chimed in, his tone serious and concerned.

"Yes, that's true, Martin. It may be related to a new type of flu that has recently spread in Europe, including Germany."

Reports indicate that the number of infections is significant, and many fans may be unable to attend due to illness, resulting in poor attendance at the Allianz Stadium today, even compared to previous league attendance.

This does give the game a strange feel, especially for the home team, Bayern, who are missing the full support of their twelfth man.

Yan Yuan, who was warming up on the field, was stretching and glancing around the stands with a slight frown.

He whispered to Odegaard beside him.

"Martin, it seems the situation is more widespread than we thought; there are quite a few empty seats."

Odegaard nodded, his expression grave.

"Yes, Captain, thankfully we all listened to you and did a good job with the protection. At times like this, staying healthy is the greatest fighting force."

Yan Yuan's foresight and reminder during the Christmas holidays

Its value became apparent at this moment.

The entire Arsenal team places great importance on personal hygiene and health protection, and tries to avoid unnecessary contact during their travels.

Therefore, although the flu appears to be spreading in Munich.

But none of the gunmen were infected, and all of them appeared healthy in this crucial battle.

Nagelsmann has been wearing a mask on the sidelines recently.

……

The match began in a somewhat somber atmosphere.

Without the thunderous cheers of the crowd, Bayern Munich seemed to have lost some of their former dominance, playing somewhat cautiously at the start of the game.

Arsenal, playing away, appeared more composed and patient.

In the 17th minute, Arsenal, playing away, took the initiative!

Bayern Munich's defensive midfielder Joshua Kimmich attempted to pass the ball to Thiago Alcantara in midfield, but the pass was too weak and the intention was too obvious.

The astute French center-back Upamecano suddenly pounced like a cheetah, making a beautiful sliding tackle to intercept the ball midway!

"Upamecano steals the ball! A beautiful and clean interception!" the commentator exclaimed.

After intercepting the ball, Upamecano did not hesitate at all; he didn't even get up.

He lay on the ground and looked up to observe what was in front of him.

He then delivered a precise long ground pass with his right foot!

The ball, like a scalpel, pierced through the gaps in Bayern's midfield line and headed straight for the open space at the edge of the opponent's penalty area!

Yan Yuan was already waiting there, and the engine started moving at high speed!

He used his explosive power to instantly shake off Leon Goretzka, who was marking him, and successfully beat the offside trap!

"Yan Yuan's chance! He's about to have a one-on-one opportunity, and the match hasn't even been going on for twenty minutes!" the commentator exclaimed.

Yan Yuan perfectly controlled the ball while running.

Take a step forward!

Bayern goalkeeper Neuer decisively rushed out of his goal to try and block the angle.

Facing a world-class goalkeeper, Yan Yuan displayed extraordinary composure!

Instead of getting past Neuer, he positioned himself just outside the penalty area line, about 25 yards from the goal.

He curled a shot with his right foot!

The ball bypassed Neuer's outstretched arm, drawing a beautiful parabola, and nestled into the top right corner of the goal!

"Gooooooooooooal!!! Yan Yuan!!! A beautiful lob shot! A world-class goal! Arsenal take a 1-0 lead away from home, opening the scoring!" the commentator shouted passionately!

"Perfect tackle, perfect pass, perfect positioning, perfect shot! A Nagelsmann-esque counter-attack! Yan Yuan once again demonstrated his unparalleled decisiveness on the Champions League knockout stage! Nagelsmann is applauding his disciple!!" the commentator exclaimed.

After scoring, Yan Yuanchong walked towards the away fans' stand (although there weren't many people), opened his arms, and accepted the hugs from his teammates.

This goal dealt a heavy blow to Bayern's morale and made the already quiet atmosphere on the sidelines even more eerie.

After conceding a goal, Bayern Munich seemed to wake up and began to intensify their attack.

In the 35th minute, Coman broke through on the left and crossed the ball. Lewandowski, near the penalty spot, outjumped Gabriel and headed the ball towards the goal! The ball was powerful and headed straight for the goal!

Fortunately, Martinez reacted quickly.

He leaped to the side and barely tipped the ball over the crossbar with his fingertips!

"Lewandowski's header! Martinez actually saved it!!! Bayern almost equalized! What a pity!!" the German commentator exclaimed.

In the 42nd minute, Arsenal also missed an opportunity to extend their lead.

Saka used his speed to outpace Bayern's right-back Benjamin Pavard on the left flank, then cut the ball back to Aubameyang in the penalty area!

Aubameyang met the ball and shot.

Unfortunately, the ball was too powerful and flew out of bounds, grazing the far post!

"Aubameyang, you should have seized the opportunity! It was so close, it could have been 2-0!" the British commentator lamented.

Luck did not favor anyone today.

At halftime, Arsenal led 1-0 away from home.

The atmosphere at the Allianz Arena became even more somber.

After the break, Bayern coach Flick clearly made adjustments, and Bayern's attack became more aggressive, trying to equalize the score as soon as possible.

The attacking trio of Lewandowski, Gnabry, and Coman relentlessly pressured Arsenal's defense.

In the 58th minute, Bayern's efforts finally paid off!

After a one-two with Kimmich, Müller delivered a low cross!

Lewandowski appeared at the near post like a ghost, and before Saliba could block him, he flicked the ball with a clever backheel shot!

The ball changed direction and darted into the net!

1-1! Bayern Munich has equalized!

"Goooooooooal!!! Müller always appears in the right place, and Lewandowski's clever shot made Müller's assist meaningful! Bayern Munich has equalized! The Allianz Arena has finally shown some energy!" the German commentator exclaimed. "Look, that's world-class goal-scoring instinct! Müller is always in the right place at the right time! And Lewandowski always seizes his opportunities; their combination is unstoppable!"

After equalizing the score, Bayern's morale soared, and their attacks came wave after wave.

Arsenal's defense is under immense pressure.

At a crucial moment, Nagelsmann made tactical adjustments, instructing the team to stabilize their position, strengthen midfield control, and look for opportunities to launch counter-attacks.

In the 78th minute, Arsenal's patience paid off.

Rice intercepted Gnabry's ball in the backfield and quickly passed it to Rodri.

Rodri dribbled forward, observed Odegaard's run in the attacking third, and delivered a penetrating through ball.

Odegaard understood perfectly, slipping into the space behind Bayern's defense to receive the ball and create a half-chance opportunity.

He calmly cut past Alaba, who was covering for him, and fired a left-footed shot into the far corner!

Neuer was powerless to intervene!

The ball has once again pierced Bayern's goal! 1-2!

Arsenal have taken the lead again!

"Goooooooooooal!!! Martin Ødegaard!!! Calm down! So calm! Arsenal are in the lead again! A beautiful counter-attack! He's even better at seizing opportunities than last season!!" The commentator's voice was full of surprise.

Another commentator analyzed.

"Yes, and Rodri's through ball was also crucial! Odegaard's ball control was masterful! Rodri gave him that chance; Arsenal did an excellent job linking up play in the midfield and attack!!"

Arsenal, once again in the lead, rallied together and withstood Bayern's furious late-game comeback.

Both Lewandowski and Müller's shots were thwarted by the outstanding performance of Martinez and the united defense.

When the referee blew the final whistle, the score was 1-2!

Arsenal narrowly defeated Bayern Munich away from home, gaining an advantage in the two-legged knockout stage!

After the match, the players from both sides greeted each other.

Yan Yuan specifically looked for Gnabry in the crowd.

Two former Hoffenheim lads have reunited.

"Hey! Sergi!" Yan Yuan walked up with a smile and hugged Gnabry tightly.

"Yan! You're still as freakish as ever!" Gnabry lightly punched Yan Yuan's chest with his fist, his tone filled with helplessness and admiration. "That goal of yours was so beautiful, even Neuer couldn't do anything about it."

Yan Yuan smiled.

"You guys are very strong too. Lewandowski's shot was really unpredictable. Winning at your Allianz Arena is not easy at all."

Gnabry sighed.

"Let's put the game aside for now. Yan, don't you think the atmosphere at our home stadium is a bit strange today? A lot of fans didn't come. Look how many empty seats we have at home. I heard it's because of the flu."

Yan Yuan's expression turned serious.

"Yes, I heard about it in the UK too. A lot of people have caught the flu recently. Sergi, you should also take precautions. Health is the most important thing."

"Don't worry, Yan." Gnabry nodded. "See you in London next time, we'll definitely get our revenge!"

"Looking forward to another battle!" Yan Yuan shook hands with Gnabry again to say goodbye.

As he walked toward the players' tunnel, Yan Yuan reiterated this to his teammates.

"Brothers, did you see that? This flu seems to have had a significant impact. Even though we won, we can't let our guard down when we get back. We need to stay healthy so we can secure our advancement at home!"

Amid a complex mix of joy and anxiety, the Arsenal team left the somewhat quiet Allianz Stadium, carrying a valuable away victory and two goals on their journey home.

Although we won this game, the atmosphere was definitely a bit strange.