Confidence soaring prior to Arsenal clash

Less than 45 minutes after the final whistle at the Volkswagen Arena, the Bayern team bus was on its way to Brunswick airport, from where the playing and coaching staff took off for Munich just after midnight. Earlier in the evening, FCB claimed three more Bundesliga points thanks to another unruffled and efficient display in a 2-0 victory over VfL Wolfsburg.

“These are the games you have to be winning, the ones where it's not so easy. We've demonstrated today that we're in great shape, we have a class team, and we're capable of breaking down any team that resists," commented coach Jupp Heynckes after his side completed a fifth victory in five matches since the winter break, still without conceding a goal. At the end of the match, Bayern had 57 points and were 18 clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund at the top of the league, although Leverkusen had cut that to 16 by the early evening on Saturday, with Dortmund still to play.