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After consolidating their second place in the Premier league over the weekend, Arsenal now face their biggest test of the season when they host Bundesliga toppers Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night. While the Gunners lost both their opening encounters to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos, the German side are top of the group with two wins and zero goals conceded.
Another loss for Arsenal would easily make them favourites to get eliminated in the group stages – a first for Arsene Wenger’s side since the 1999/2000 season – if it ever comes to that. The Gunners will be wary of the fact that when the two sides have met before in the past two seasons, Bayern came out on top in the London leg on both occasions.
Kickoff and Telecast
Date & Time: Tuesday, 20 October – 19:45 (Wednesday 00:15 IST)
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Telecast: Ten Action
Team News
After starting the first two games in the Champions League, Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina will not be available after sustaining an injury with Colombia during the international break. Wenger confirmed the goalkeeper would not be available in the press conference. The news may come as a relief for fans as Ospina failed to impress in the earlier matches. Petr Cech will start in goal on Tuesday night.
Centre-back Gabriel Paulista is also available after he missed out on the trip to Watford where the Gunners won 3-0. Apart from long-term absentees like Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere, Wenger confirmed that everyone else who played a part in the game on Saturday was fit for selection, explicitly saying Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil would not be rested.
Bayern Munich are without a few key players. Arjen Robben and Mario Gotze are not available to Pep Guardiola while Holger Badstuber and Mehdi Benatia are also out of the reckoning. Franck Ribery remains sidelined as is Sebastian Rode. Meanwhile, both Douglas Costa and Javi Martinez face late fitness tests.
Probable Lineups
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla; Ramsey, Ozil, Alexis; Walcott
Bayern Munich (4-3-3): Neuer; Lahm, Boateng, Martinez, Alaba; Vidal, Alonso, Alcantara; Muller, Costa, Lewandowski
Form
Arsenal go into this game high on confidence after two consecutive wins, with the 3-0 thrashing of Manchester United at home still fresh in their minds. Although they are second in the Premier League, two points behind Manchester City, it is their Champions League form they will be worried about.
They are yet to win a point, losing to Dinamo Zagreb away and at home to Olympiacos. But with key players finding form at the right time, they will be looking to win all three points.
Last 5 games: W-W-L-W-W (Last match: Watford 0-3 Arsenal)
Bayern Munich arrive in London with arguably the best form among all top European clubs. They are yet to lose in the Bundesliga or the Champions League. They have set a record nine wins in the first nine games of the league season while they sit top of group F with a maximum of six points with eight goals scored.
Guardiola’s side look unstoppable this season. They already have a commanding seven-point lead in the Bundesliga and even thrashed second-placed Borussia Dortmund 5-1 in the league. They have scored 29 goals so far and have conceded only four.
Last 5 games: W-W-W-W-W (Last match: Werder Bremen 0-1 Bayern Munich)
Key Stats
- Bayern Munich have won their last 3 Champions League matches, scoring at least 3 goals
- The last time Arsenal beat Bayern Munich at home was in 2005 (1-0 win with Thierry Henry scoring)
- Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez has scored 10 goals for club and country in his last six games
- Robert Lewandowski leads the European Golden Shoe race with 12 goals this season. Thomas Muller has nine.
- Mesut Ozil leads the assists chart with six assists so far this season. Douglas Costa has five. Ozil also leads the table for key passes made (4.6 per game)
Key Battles
Hector Bellerin vs Douglas Costa
If Douglas Costa is fit, Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin will have his hands full in dealing with the Brazilian winger. Costa has ripped apart teams in the Bundesliga with his directness, dribbling and pace on the flank. Although Bellerin is one of the fastest players in the EPL, his inexperience on the big stage might be a factor with Costa averaging 3.8 dribbles in the league and 2.5 in the Champions League.
With Bellerin a key factor in Arsenal’s attacks on the right this season, he may have to curb his attacking instincts in this game to keep an eye on Costa’s runs. The last thing the Gunners want is to find Bellerin in the wrong half and Costa making a run with only Per Mertesacker playing a high line.
Alexis Sanchez vs Philipp Lahm
At the opposite end of the pitch, Lahm will have to contend with Alexis Sanchez who has scored seven goals for the Gunners this season. After an insipid start to the season, the Chilean forward has burst into life scoring in the last four games for Arsenal, including a hat-trick against Leicester City and a brace against Manchester United.
This season, Lahm has been dribbled past at a rate of 0.6 times per game, in spite of playing in various positions. Guardiola might not opt to play three at the back with Arsenal’s penchant for pace and it will be up to Lahm to check Alexis’s runs and ensure he doesn’t cut inside too often.
Prediction
Judging by the results in the Round of 16 in the past two years, it is difficult to predict an Arsenal win against one of the strongest Bayern Munich sides they will encounter. Cech and the Gunners defence will have to put in one of the best performances of their career considering the goalscoring threat of Lewandowski and Muller. On the other hand, Neuer and co will be wary of Alexis’s form and Walcott’s pace to get in behind the defence. Expect a lot of goals, but Bayern might just nick this one.
Predicted score: Arsenal 2-3 Bayern Munich
Betting Odds (bet365)
Arsenal – 3/1
Draw – 14/5
Bayern Munich – 19/20
