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When the football world casts its eyes at Munich’s Allianz Arena in May for the Champions League final, home side Bayern Munich will be mere spectators.

The German giants were felled by Inter Milan at the quarter-final stage 4-3 on aggregate after Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at the San Siro.

While Bayern more than matched the Italian champions despite a crippling injury crisis, the manner of the elimination will be most concerning for the German giants.

Bayern were unable to make their dominance of possession and chances count against Inter.

The six-time Champions League winners consider the European stage to be their own but were let down by poor game management in crucial moments across both legs.

In Munich, Bayern were still captivated by the serendipity of Thomas Mueller’s late equaliser when Davide Frattesi scored the winner for Inter on the break three minutes later.

In Milan, Harry Kane had levelled the tie but Bayern conceded two goals in three minutes, giving the hosts an aggregate lead they would never relinquish.

In the short term, Bayern will lament their bad luck with injuries and missing chances in front of goal.

But bigger questions are on the horizon, most notably why the club continues to fall short of their own expectations in Europe.

Elimination against Inter was Bayern’s fourth quarter-final exit in the past five seasons — a poor return for a club with a budget to rival Europe’s best.

Being mere spectators for the showpiece on their own turf will sting.

Known as the ‘Finale dahoam’ in the local Bavarian dialect, May 31 2025 was not just circled on the calendar: it had dictated Bayern’s strategy for years.

The Allianz Arena was originally selected as the host ground for the 2023 Champions League final in 2019, but this was pushed back two years following Covid-19.

In it, Bayern saw the perfect chance to avenge their 2012 Champions League final defeat to Chelsea at the same venue.

The surprise firing of Julian Nagelsmann for European specialist Thomas Tuchel in March 2023 was justified against the backdrop of winning in 2025.

The decision to smash their own transfer record to spend 100 million euros ($113 million) on Kane, then aged 30, was approved by the traditionally frugal Bayern transfer board in August 2023 for the same reason.

In recent weeks, the club’s decision not to extend with two-time Champions League winner Thomas Mueller, while controversial, had given Bayern an extra push to provide a home send-off for the club legend.

READ ALSO: Arsenal Knock Out Holders Real Madrid To Reach Champions League Semis

 ‘Hard Reality’

With the dream dead, the disappointment was evident at all levels of the club on Wednesday.

Coach Vincent Kompany said the tie could not be properly evaluated without considering Bayern’s injuries.

Creative spark Jamal Musiala, captain Manuel Neuer, wing-back Alphonso Davies and centre-backs Dayot Upamecano and Hiroki Ito were all missing, while defender Kim Min-jae played through Achilles tendonitis.

Kompany, however, admitted: “The hard reality is that we are not going to play the Champions League final at home.

“That’s the hard reality. We cannot change this, we can’t say more than that.”

Speaking at a post-match banquet in Milan on Wednesday, a Bayern tradition for all away games in Europe, CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said: “We’re all sad we won’t be playing in the final at home.

“We had many goals for the season, but that was the biggest.”

Joshua Kimmich, the current Germany captain who will take over as Bayern skipper when Neuer eventually leaves the club, said “the final at home would have meant a lot… it would have been something very big”.

“This dream has been shattered. It’s very bitter. We’ll feel it when the final is played in our stadium and we’re not there,” the 30-year-old added.

Bayern responded to the 2012 loss to Chelsea by winning in 2013 and 2020, those victories bookmarking a run of four semi-final appearances in six seasons.

After 2025’s disappointment, Kimmich was unequivocal.

“We need to improve significantly in big games, both going forward and defensively,” he said.

While Bayern are on track to claim their 12th Bundesliga title in 13 seasons this year, it is what they will do next in Europe that matters most.

Key quotes after Arsenal swept aside holders Real Madrid and Inter Milan held off Bayern Munich in the second legs of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final ties on Wednesday:

“It’s such a special night for this club, it’s a historic night for this club. We have an objective in this competition: we want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition.

“There was a lot of talk coming here about them coming back because they’ve done it so many times before but we had so much belief and confidence from that first leg that we could come here and win the game. We knew we were going to suffer but we knew we were going to win. What a night for the club!” – Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice to TNT Sports

“The history we have in this competition is so short. It’s the third time in our history that we’ve done what we’ve just done (reach the semi-finals). So we need to build on that. We are really hungry, we want more. It’s a really young team that is very determined. And all these experiences, including me for sure, is going to help us a lot to try to achieve something big.” – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta

READ ALSO: Arsenal Knock Out Holders Real Madrid To Reach Champions League Semis

“It’s a difficult moment… it was a difficult game, we didn’t have all the chances we would have liked.” – Madrid midfielder Lucas Vazquez to Movistar

“We didn’t have the accuracy up front, I don’t think (David) Raya had a save to make. We lost against a superior Arsenal and we have to accept it” – Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois

“We’ll remember this for a long time.” – Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez to Amazon Prime

“We’re disappointed. I gave everything, we gave everything. I think Inter’s second goal in the first leg was decisive. The fans saw that we gave everything. It’s a pity for us because the final was in Munich, but the Champions League is not a picnic.” – Bayern Munich’s Thomas Mueller to DAZN

“That’s football, that’s life. In two months we have the Club World Cup and we’ll try to win another title. Of course it’s bitter that we’re out, but we had our chances.”  – Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany

Key quotes after Arsenal swept aside holders Real Madrid and Inter Milan held off Bayern Munich in the second legs of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final ties on Wednesday:

“It’s such a special night for this club, it’s a historic night for this club. We have an objective in this competition: we want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition.

“There was a lot of talk coming here about them coming back because they’ve done it so many times before but we had so much belief and confidence from that first leg that we could come here and win the game. We knew we were going to suffer but we knew we were going to win. What a night for the club!” – Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice to TNT Sports

“The history we have in this competition is so short. It’s the third time in our history that we’ve done what we’ve just done (reach the semi-finals). So we need to build on that. We are really hungry, we want more. It’s a really young team that is very determined. And all these experiences, including me for sure, is going to help us a lot to try to achieve something big.” – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta

READ ALSO: Arsenal Knock Out Holders Real Madrid To Reach Champions League Semis

“It’s a difficult moment… it was a difficult game, we didn’t have all the chances we would have liked.” – Madrid midfielder Lucas Vazquez to Movistar

“We didn’t have the accuracy up front, I don’t think (David) Raya had a save to make. We lost against a superior Arsenal and we have to accept it” – Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois

“We’ll remember this for a long time.” – Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez to Amazon Prime

“We’re disappointed. I gave everything, we gave everything. I think Inter’s second goal in the first leg was decisive. The fans saw that we gave everything. It’s a pity for us because the final was in Munich, but the Champions League is not a picnic.” – Bayern Munich’s Thomas Mueller to DAZN

“That’s football, that’s life. In two months we have the Club World Cup and we’ll try to win another title. Of course it’s bitter that we’re out, but we had our chances.”  – Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany

Arsenal dethroned the kings of the Champions League with ease as a 5-1 aggregate rout of Real Madrid sent the Gunners into the semi-finals for the first time since 2009.

A commanding 3-0 first leg victory, lit up by two stunning Declan Rice free-kicks, laid the foundations in London.

But a 2-1 win in the cauldron of the Santiago Bernabeu to complete the job on Wednesday was a coming-of-age performance for Mikel Arteta’s rising stars.

Arteta’s only major trophy in five and a half years in charge remains the 2020 FA Cup, just months into his reign.

But the Spaniard has transformed a sleeping giant back into serial contenders for major honours.

“I sensed before I signed for the club that we were on an upwards trajectory,” said Rice, who rejected the advances of Manchester City to join Arsenal for a club record £105 million ($139 million) in 2023.

“This club is going to do special things in the coming years. We all fully believe in it, we have full trust in this manager – he’s unbelievable!”

Despite never winning the competition, Arsenal were part of the Champions League furniture in the early years of Arsene Wenger’s reign.

Between 2000 and 2017, they never failed to qualify for Europe’s elite competition.

But they spent six years without Champions League football when that run ended.

Slowly, Arteta rebuilt Arsenal back into a force around a core of promising talent now coming into their prime.

Not for the first time in his young career, Bukayo Saka did not let a missed penalty on the big stage affect him.

Saka’s early spot-kick was saved by Thibaut Courtois, giving Madrid belief another miraculous Champions League comeback was on for the Spanish giants.

But the England international extinguished that hope with a sumptuous dink over the giant Belgian ‘keeper 25 minutes from time to give Arsenal the lead on the night.

William Saliba blotted what was an otherwise flawless display over two legs to shut down his French international team-mate Kylian Mbappe moments later as Vinicius Junior pounced to bring Real level.

READ ALSO: Arsenal Knock Out Holders Real Madrid To Reach Champions League Semis

 Rice ‘immense’

But even then, Arsenal were unflustered and quickly snuffed out any Madrid momentum.

Full-backs Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jurrien Timber locked down the threat of Vinicius and Rodrygo out wide.

And Rice won the midfield battle against his England team-mate Jude Bellingham with a virtuoso performance that saw him crowned man of the match in both legs.

“Tonight he was immense,” said Arteta. “In the moment that the game was 50-50, he got on the ball and turned the game.”

In the past two seasons, Arsenal have fallen just short to an all-conquering Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

They are on course to finish second for a third consecutive year as Liverpool close in on the title.

But the Champions League offers Arteta the chance to deliver the major piece of silverware that his project is still missing.

“It’s such a special night for this club, it’s a historic night for this club,” added Rice.

“We have an objective in this competition, we want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition.”

One of Arteta’s former clubs as a player, Paris Saint-Germain, await in the last four of a wide-open competition.

None of the clubs remaining have won the competition for at least a decade as Barcelona face Inter Milan in the other semi-final.

“It’s the third time in our history that we’ve done what we’ve just done (reaching the semi-finals),” added Arteta.

“So we need to build on that. We are really hungry, we want more. It’s a really young team that is very determined.

“And all these experiences, including me for sure, is going to help us a lot to try to achieve something big.”