Bayern Munich have not lost a Champions League home match in the group stage or league phase since December 2013, and on Wednesday they host the only side yet to concede in this season’s competition.
Arsenal arrive with 14 successive league-phase wins, the latest a 3-0 victory over Lille in which Jurrien Timber, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka scored within seven minutes. Bayern’s run at the Allianz Arena stands at 39 matches (37 wins, two draws), and Vincent Kompany’s side have scored 25 goals in their last six games, including a 6-1 win over RB Leipzig on Saturday. Michael Olise is suspended after a second yellow card in Bayern’s 3-3 draw at Viking, and Kompany is ill.
Mikel Arteta and Kompany worked together at Manchester City, and Arteta has called himself a huge admirer of the Bayern coach. Arsenal have lost their last three visits to the Allianz Arena and won only one of their previous seven, a 2-0 win in the 2012-13 last 16 with Arteta then captaining the side. Arsenal beat Bayern 3-1 at the Emirates in last season’s league phase, with Noni Madueke among the scorers.
Bayern Munich vs Arsenal – Match preview and team news
- Date: Wednesday, 21 October 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 BST
- Venue: Allianz Arena
- Referee: Davide Massa (ITA), VAR Carlos del Cerro Grande (ESP)
- Last meeting: Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich, November 2025, Champions League (league phase)
Team news
Bayern Munich
Olise is suspended and Jamal Musiala (thigh) is out. Kompany has been ill and missed Tuesday’s press conference, which assistant Aaron Danks took instead. Manuel Neuer is expected back in goal after a foot problem, and Lennart Karl is favourite to replace Olise on the right. Joshua Kimmich missed training on Tuesday for personal reasons but is expected to be available.
Arsenal
William Saliba (back), Piero Hincapie (ankle) and Christos Tzolis (hamstring) are out. Martin Zubimendi is back from an ankle problem, and Arteta said he “will be involved”, though he is not expected to start. Madueke is expected to replace Eze on the left after scoring the winner at Nottingham Forest, while Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly are in line to start.
Form
Bayern Munich
Bayern beat Bodø/Glimt 5-0 on matchday one before leading Viking 3-2 into stoppage time, only to concede a late equaliser to draw 3-3 after Olise’s dismissal. They have scored eight Champions League goals, more than every side except PSG, Barcelona and Aston Villa. They are unbeaten in all competitions this season, with Luis Díaz scoring a hat-trick and Harry Kane a goal and two assists against Leipzig. Kane has scored 15 goals in 22 matches against Arsenal, but not in his last two.
Arsenal
Arsenal have scored only four goals in two Champions League matches, fewer than any other side in the top 10, but have not conceded. Madueke’s deflected 80th-minute goal won the match at Forest on Sunday, and Arteta said afterwards that his side could have done things better. Eze was withdrawn at half-time in that match and has faced questions about his form. Arsenal have won their last three matches in all competitions.
Predicted lineups
Bayern Munich predicted XI: Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Davies; Pavlovic, Kimmich; Karl, Saibari, Díaz; Kane
Arsenal predicted XI: Raya; Timber, Konsa, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Guimaraes; Saka, Odegaard, Madueke; Gyokeres
How to watch Bayern Munich vs Arsenal?
The match will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom on TNT Sports 1, with streaming available via HBO Max.
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