Arsenal vs Bayern Munich predictions: This should be an absolute humdinger
Arsenal and Bayern Munich are dominating their domestic leagues.
Both sides are six clear after the weekend action, the Gunners roaring to a 4-1 win over local rivals Spurs, with Bayern thrashing Freiburg 6-2 to make it 31 points out of a possible 33 in the Bundesliga.
They also just happen to be the top two in the current 36-team Champions League table after starting with four wins apiece.
Arsenal cruised to 12 points with victories over Athletic Bilbao (2-0), Olympiakos (2-0), Atletico Madrid (4-0) and Slavia Prague (3-0) while Bayern have beaten Chelsea (3-1), Pafos (5-1), Club Brugge (4-0) and, notably, defending champions PSG 2-1 in Paris.
Wednesday night represents a great chance for both sides to test their mettle and perhaps even gain a psychological edge if they meet again further down the line.
Something has to give because basically both can’t stop winning.
Bayern have 17 victories and a draw from their 18 matches at home and abroad this season while Arsenal have chalked up 15 wins, two draws and just that single loss to Liverpool at Anfield.
How to watch Arsenal v Bayern Munich
Arsenal v Bayern Munich kicks off at 8pm GMT on Wednesday, November 26 at the Emirates.
The game will be shown live on TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+, with coverage starting from 7pm.
BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra will provide full match commentary.
Arsenal team news
While key central defender Gabriel remains sidelined, there is better news for Mikel Arteta elsewhere.
Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli both returned to the matchday squad for the win over Spurs while Martin Odegaard and Viktor Gyokeres are getting close to returns too although are unlikely to feature here.
In defence, Piero Hincapie is likely to deputise for Gabriel once more, with Mikel Merino playing as a false nine again, a role he did with aplomb in the North London derby.
Arteta has given minutes to Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly in European games but may go as strong as he can against such elite opposition.
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Arsenal expected line-up
(4-3-3) Raya; Timber, Saliba, Hincapie, Calafiori; Rice, Zubimendi, Eze; Saka, Merino, Trossard
Bayern Munich team news
Bayern’s big miss for this one is ex-Liverpool wideman Luis Diaz, who scored twice but was then sent off in the victory at PSG. This will be the first of his three-match ban.
Former Gunner Serge Gnabry didn’t play at the weekend due to a knee issue but could be okay to come in for Diaz.
Teenager Lennart Karl may start again after impressing against Freiburg although Tom Bischof may be a more likely addition in the triumvirate behind Kane.
Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies are both long-term absentees.
Bayern Munich expected line-up
(4-2-3-1) Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Stanisic; Pavlovic, Kimmich; Olise, Bischof, Gnabry; Kane
Arsenal v Bayern Munich stats
– Arsenal have faced Bayern Munich 14 times before in the UEFA Champions League, the most times they’ve ever faced a side in the competition. The Gunners are winless across their last five meetings.
– This will be the fifth time that Bayern Munich have faced Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League group/league phase, facing them during both the 2000-01 (2nd group stage) and 2015-16 campaigns. The German side have lost just one of those matches.
– Since a 3-0 loss to PSG in September 2017, Bayern Munich have lost just three of their 52 UEFA Champions League group stage equivalent games (W45 D4).
– Arsenal are the only team yet to concede a goal in the UEFA Champions League this season, while they rank first for both expected goals against (1.94) and shots on target faced (7).
– Bayern Munich ranked joint-first for goals (14 – level with Paris SG) and expected goals (12.3) across the opening four matchdays of the current tournament.
– Arsenal have won each of their last eight UEFA Champions League group/league phase games by a combined 24-2 scoreline.
– Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has scored 15 goals in 21 career appearances against Arsenal, including six goals in 10 games against them at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal v Bayern Munich predictions
This should be a humdinger (it’s our match to watch this week) and the market suggests the Gunners have a slight edge.
They’re the favourites at 6/5, with Bayern 11/5 and the draw 12/5.
Both massively in-form sides are missing key men – Gabriel for Arsenal and Luis Diaz for the visitors – so that adds to the balanced feel.
Overall, the draw is perhaps the smart play with both teams at the peak of their powers.
It was quite a weekend for ex-Crystal Palace duo Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.
Eze scored a hat-trick in the North London derby while his former Eagles team-mate Olise netted twice and had a trio of assists in the 6-2 romp over Freiburg.
An anytime scorer double pays around 16/1 and is worth a look.
A simpler bet is just Harry Kane to score at 6/4. He has 26 goals in 19 appearances for club and country this season and also boasts a strong record against Arsenal from his Spurs days.
