MUNICH, March 14, (RTRS): Arsenal will end an eighth consecutive season without silverware after their Champions League exit by Bayern Munich on Wednesday, leaving manager Arsene Wenger to rue a home first-leg defeat after his side almost pulled off an improbable comeback.
The Premier League side, trophyless since their 2005 FA Cup triumph, were written off after a 3-1 defeat in London by the slick Bavarians.
But rather than roll over in Germany, Arsenal stunned nervy Bayern with Olivier Giroud’s early goal at their Allianz Arena fortress and after Laurent Koscielny headed a second with four minutes left, Bayern were forced to cling on to reach the last eight.
“I believe we were very, very close,” Wenger told Sky Sports.
“The spirit and the performance was there and we had a great go. The overall defensive performance was very good. They defended very very well and we lost some balls offensively in situations.
“It was frustrating sometimes but I put that down to the fact that they defended well and when we got the second goal, you could see that if we had put some more balls in the box we would have score another goal.”

No team in the Champions League has recovered to qualify after losing the first leg at home by a two-goal margin and Arsenal were knocked out in the last 16 for the third season in a row.
Wenger pointed to Bayern’s late third goal at The Emirates last month, scored in the 77th minute by Mario Mandzukic, as the hammer blow.
“The regrets we have tonight of course is from the first leg when you think that we conceded a cheap goal. Had we lost 2-1 at home you see how important that goal was tonight,” he said.
Arsenal were without influential Jack Wilshere, Lukas Podolski and Bacary Sagna and keeper Wojciech Szczesny was rested on Wednesday but Wenger took pride from his side’s display in defeating last season’s beaten finalists.
“I know these players. I have said many times they have a fantastic attitude and spirit and we have the quality. But unfortunately we have to go out of the Champions League and it hurts very much.”
Arsenal almost pulled off a huge comeback in the Champions League round of 16 last season, losing to AC Milan 4-0 in the first leg and narrowly going out after winning the return 3-0.

“We have a bit of the same regrets we had last year in the last 16 - first game nerves and afterwards, we have no choice and show how good we are,” added Wenger. “This is a 180 minute game.”
Arsenal now face a battle to secure Champions League football next season by finishing in the Premier League top four. With 10 games left, they sit in fifth place, five points behind Chelsea in fourth.
“I’m confident that we will give absolutely everything to be back next season and keep the basis of this team,” Wenger said.
“You could see that the young players that played tonight are doing very well, let’s finish well this season.”
Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini praised his players for keeping their focus through a turbulent period for the Qatari-owned club after they eliminated Porto on Wednesday to advance to the Champions League last eight on their debut in the competition. Malaga’s long-suffering fans have endured a roller-coaster ride since Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani, a member of the Qatar royal family, bought the Costa del Sol club in 2010 after they narrowly avoided relegation.

Hefty investment in players and the hiring of former Real Madrid and Villarreal coach Pellegrini yielded a top-four finish last term and a place in Europe’s elite club competition.
However, things apparently began to unravel over the summer and while rumours Al Thani was looking to bail out went unanswered top players like Santi Cazorla were sold off to raise cash.
There appeared to be a power vacuum, with local officials keeping the club running as much in the dark as players, coaching staff, fans and journalists.
Al Thani’s lieutenant eventually announced Malaga were undergoing an “internal restructuring” to bring them into line with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules.
Outstanding debts to players, staff and other clubs began to be settled and a measure of calm returned.
The season began in mid-August and Pellegrini and his squad showed they were not distracted by institutional woes with a series of impressive performances that lifted them to first place in Champions League Group C ahead of AC Milan.
A 1-0 home win over the seven-times European Cup winners will live long in the memory of those who were at the Rosaleda.

Their dream run appeared to be coming to an end after 2004 winners Porto beat them 1-0 in last month’s last 16 first leg in Portugal.
But inspired by highly-rated playmaker Isco and playing with a man extra after Porto midfielder Steven Defour was sent off just after halftime, Malaga stormed back on Wednesday to win 2-0 on the night and advance 2-1 on aggregate.
“The atmosphere in the stadium was incredible and the fans deserved a victory like this,” Pellegrini said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster Canal Plus.
“It has been an unusual year,” added the Chilean when questioned about Malaga’s financial difficulties.
“The team deserves a lot of credit for what they have done both in the domestic league and the Champions League.
“They maintained their focus on the sporting side and had the capacity to get to grips with all the other problems.
“Then there was a positive atmosphere coming from a desire to help the club and the players deserve huge praise for that.”

Malaga’s success has been built around a squad mixing experienced campaigners like Argentine centre back Martin Demichelis, French midfielder Jeremy Toulalan and Paraguay forward Roque Santa Cruz and youngsters like Isco.
The talented 20-year-old, who is on the fringes of the Spanish national team, was voted by coaches the ‘revelation player’ of La Liga last season and he won the ‘Golden Boy’ trophy as the best Under-21 player in Europe.
But it is Malaga’s old timers who have really underpinned their success and Santa Cruz came off the bench on Wednesday to seal their passage to the last eight.
“It’s all about their personalities,” Pellegrini said.
“They are all winners who have come from very important clubs who are used to Champions League success,” he added.
“It is different at Malaga and I also experienced something similar at Villarreal.
“Every victory seems worth double when you are playing in the competition for the first time.
“Now we are among the eight best teams in Europe and we will do our best to get through to the semifinals.”