The National's Sport cover, featuring Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal ahead of a major Champions League clash between Arsenal and Bayern Munich.
Ian Hawkey dives into the Chilean dynamic that will characterize this contest, Alexis the man of the moment for resurgent Arsenal and Arturo Vidal fighting off becoming an afterthought for steamrolling Bayern:
“Vidal, 28, moved from Juventus to Bayern in July. Arsenal had been among several clubs interested in recruiting him, having weighed up the benefits of his all-round game against the risk that his patchy record of fitness represented.
“In Munich, he has points still to prove. Franz Beckenbauer, Bayern’s honorary president, last month criticised Vidal’s work-rate and claimed ‘the club don’t need him’.
“Sanchez has in the past two years overtaken Vidal as the country’s most admired sporting figurehead. His move to Barcelona from Italy’s Udinese, in 2011, helped raise his profile and his impact at Arsenal, who are seeking their first points of a shaky European campaign against Bayern, has been immense.
“‘Delightful,’ Arsene Wenger called him at the weekend, when Sanchez, 26, scored the third goal in the 3-0 Premier League win against Watford. ‘He’s what you want to watch if you like football.’
“And he is one red-hot Chilean right now. Sanchez has 10 goals in his last six matches, including the three he scored for his country during the recent international break. Bayern know which Arsenal man they have to police most vigilantly. Expect Vidal to spend some time hounding his countryman.”
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