Arsenal are set to play their first Champions League quarter-final match in 14 years on Tuesday night when they welcome Bayern Munich to the Emirates Stadium. The match represents a fantastic opportunity for the Gunners to progress through to the semi-finals of the competition given the contrasting form of the two sides but they also have one other huge advantage on Tuesday night.
Bayern Munich fans are banned from entering the stadium at the Emirates due to incidents in other Champions League away fixtures this season. Fireworks were thrown onto the pitch from the away end in both Copenhagen and Lazio which means their vocal and passionate support will be missing in North London on Tuesday.
However, several Bayern fans are still expected to make the trip over to the English capital this week which has sparked fears among the police and Arsenal over the possibility of Arsenal fans selling their tickets onto German supporters at a premium.
Ahead of the match, Arsenal have issued the following warning to supporters: “There is additional risk associated with this game because Bayern Munich are not permitted an away allocation. Any season-ticket holder or Arsenal member’s seat found to be in possession of an away fan will be suspended indefinitely.”
Arsenal are trying to prevent a repeat of 2017
If there are Bayern Munich ticket holders inside the Emirates Stadium this week then it won't be the first time that German fans have infiltrated home sections at Arsenal's home. Back in a Europa League game against Cologne in 2017, thousands of Cologne fans were dotted around the Emirates which caused major issues before and during the match.
Kick-off was delayed due to issues at the turnstiles while large groups of Cologne supporters were involved in fights with stewards and Arsenal fans inside the stadium. As a result, the London club have tightened sales restrictions for the match against Bayern Munich to try and prevent a similar scenario from occurring this week.
They haven't sold any tickets to members who registered with the club after the day the draw was made on March 11 and season ticket holders are only allowed to transfer their ticket to someone who had an existing account on the platform before that same date.
However, as ever, there are potentially ways around these blockers which has prompted the club to issue one final warning ahead of the match. Given the magnitude of the match, though, it is unlikely any Arsenal fan would want to miss out.