Arsenal receive huge advantage from UEFA for Bayern Munich Champions League tie

Arsenal will benefit from a crowd featuring only home fans when they take on Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final next month.

The Gunners reached the last eight of Europe's elite club competition for the first time since 2010 thanks to a penalty shootout win against Porto in the round of 16.

Their reward is a draw with Bundesliga champions Bayern, who are currently on a three-match streak of 5-1 wins against Arsenal owing to their most recent encounters between 2015 and 2017.

While Arsenal have been drawn at home for the first leg — a factor often seen as a disadvantage in two-legged ties — they have a great chance to build a lead in front of a 60,000-crowd featuring only home supporters.

Bayern have been sanctioned by UEFA after fans threw fireworks onto the pitch during their 3-0 victory against Lazio in the second leg of their last 16 tie. The club were previously hit with a fine of €40,000 and a suspended ban on away fans due to a similar incident in their win against Copenhagen in the group stage.

«We have to accept this punishment. Not only were pyrotechnics set off, but also fired deliberately onto the field, directly endangering bystanders,» Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said.

«This was such an explicit violation of the conditions of probation that an appeal is unfortunately futile.

»The fact we now have to play away without the support of our fans is a big blow. A small group of individual offenders have done a disservice to all our supporters and the team."

Arsenal will be able to sell tickets to home fans in what is usually the designated away corner of the Emirates. The first leg takes place on April 9 before the return fixture at the Allianz Arena on April 17, and the winners