Arsenal vs Bayern Munich: Preview, Prediction, Lineups

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich— Match Preview

The Emirates Stadium hosts a true clash of titans this Wednesday as Arsenal welcome Bayern Munich in a battle for Champions League supremacy. This is a meeting of the competition’s only two remaining perfect teams—both sides have won 4 out of 4, sitting on 12 points apiece.¹

Mikel Arteta’s Gunners are flying, fresh off a humiliating 4-1 destruction of Tottenham in the North London Derby.² They boast the competition’s best defense (0 goals conceded).³ Standing in their way is Vincent Kompany’s Bayern machine, fresh off a 6-2 mauling of Freiburg and possessing the tournament’s most lethal attack.⁴ With top spot in the League Phase on the line, will Arsenal’s ironclad defense hold firm against Harry Kane and co., or will the Bavarians storm North London?

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — Quick Match Info

Fixture: Arsenal vs Bayern Munich
Competition: UEFA Champions League (League Phase – Matchday 5)⁵
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London (Capacity: 60,704)⁶
Date: Wednesday, 26 November 2025⁷
Kickoff Time: 20:00 GMT / 21:00 CET / 01:30 IST (Thursday)
Referee: Marco Guida (Italy)
TV Channel (UK): TNT Sports 1
TV Channel (USA): Paramount+, CBS Sports
TV Channel (India): Sony Sports Network, SonyLIV
Live Stream: Discovery+ (UK), JioTV (India)

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — Match Context (2025/26 Season)

Arsenal:

Position: 2nd in Champions League (12 Points).
Form: Imperious. They have won 5 games in a row across all competitions, including a statement 3-0 away win at Slavia Prague and the recent derby thrashing of Spurs.⁸
Current Challenge: Maintaining their defensive perfection. They are yet to concede a single goal in Europe this season, but this is their first test against an elite attack.⁹

Bayern Munich:

Position: 1st in Champions League (12 Points).
Form: Ruthless. They have scored 11 goals in their last two games alone (6 vs Freiburg, 3 vs Leverkusen, 2 vs PSG).
Current Challenge: Fixing defensive lapses. Despite scoring for fun, Kompany has expressed concern over conceding from set-pieces (as seen in the 2-2 vs Union Berlin).¹⁰

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — What’s at Stake

For Arsenal:

Statement of Intent: Beating Bayern would not only put them top of the table but also exorcise the ghosts of past European thrashings. It proves they are now the favorites to lift the trophy.

For Bayern Munich:

The Top Seed: Finishing 1st in the League Phase guarantees a favorable path in the knockouts. Kompany wants to assert dominance over his Premier League rival.

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — Team Form

Arsenal (Last 5 Matches):

W vs Tottenham (4-1)¹¹
D vs Sunderland (2-2)
W vs Slavia Prague (3-0 – CL)¹²
W vs Burnley (2-0)
W vs Brighton (2-0 – EFL)

Bayern Munich (Last 5 Matches):

W vs Freiburg (6-2)¹³
D vs Union Berlin (2-2)¹⁴
W vs PSG (2-1 – CL)¹⁵
W vs Bayer Leverkusen (3-0)
W vs FC Koln (4-1 – Cup)¹⁶

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — Team News

Arsenal:

Key Absences: Captain Martin Ødegaard (Knee) and striker Gabriel Jesus (ACL) are huge misses. Gabriel Magalhães (Muscle) and Kai Havertz (Knee) are also out until December.
Doubtful: Top scorer Viktor Gyökeres is carrying a strain and is unlikely to risk starting.
The Replacements: Ethan Nwaneri continues in midfield after his breakout season.¹⁷ Yerson Mosquera and Piero Hincapié form a new-look defensive partnership with Saliba.

Bayern Munich:

Suspended: Winger Luis Díaz is suspended following his red card against PSG.¹⁸
Injuries: Alphonso Davies (ACL) and Jamal Musiala (Broken Leg) are massive long-term losses. Youngster Lennart Karl is also doubtful.
Tactical Shift: With Davies out, Josip Stanisic likely slots in at left-back, while Nicolas Jackson partners Kane in attack or plays off the wing.

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — Head to Head

18 Apr 2024: Bayern Munich 1–0 Arsenal (CL)¹⁹
10 Apr 2024: Arsenal 2–2 Bayern Munich (CL)
18 Jul 2019: Arsenal 2–1 Bayern Munich (ICC)
19 Jul 2017: Bayern Munich 1–2 Arsenal (ICC)
08 Mar 2017: Arsenal 1–5 Bayern Munich (CL)

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — Predicted Lineups

Arsenal (4-3-3):

Arteta trusts youth in Nwaneri and the defensive solidity of Rice and Nørgaard.

GK: David Raya²⁰
RB: Jurrien Timber²¹
CB: William Saliba²²
CB: Yerson Mosquera
LB: Piero Hincapié²³
CM: Ethan Nwaneri
CM: Christian Nørgaard
CM: Declan Rice (C)
RW: Bukayo Saka²⁴
ST: Mikel Merino (False 9 / Advanced 8 role)
LW: Leandro Trossard²⁵

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1):

Kompany deploys a heavily attacking lineup with Olise and Gnabry supporting Kane.

GK: Manuel Neuer (C)
RB: Konrad Laimer²⁶
CB: Dayot Upamecano²⁷
CB: Jonathan Tah²⁸
LB: Josip Stanišić²⁹
CDM: Joshua Kimmich³⁰
CDM: Aleksandar Pavlović
RW: Michael Olise³¹
CAM: Serge Gnabry
LW: Nicolas Jackson (Filling in for the suspended Diaz)
ST: Harry Kane³²

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — Impact Bench Options

Arsenal:

Raheem Sterling: If the game opens up, his experience and dribbling can exploit a tired Bayern backline.
Riccardo Calafiori: A solid defensive option to close out the game if Arsenal are leading.

Bayern Munich:

Mathys Tel: The young Frenchman offers explosive pace if Jackson or Gnabry are ineffective.
Leon Goretzka: Brings box-to-box power if Bayern lose control of the midfield battle.

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — Tactical Outlook

Arsenal:

Playing Style: Defensive Suffocation. Arteta’s side has mastered the art of control without the ball. With Rice and Nørgaard screening, they will force Bayern wide. Offensively, they will target Stanišić at left-back, using Saka’s 1v1 ability to create overloads.
Weakness: Lack of a Natural Striker. With Jesus/Havertz/Gyökeres out or doubtful, playing Merino as a focal point is a risk. They rely heavily on goals from midfield.

Bayern Munich:

Playing Style: Vertical Power. Kompany’s Bayern is more direct than Tuchel’s. They look to feed Harry Kane quickly, who drops deep to release Olise and Jackson. They are averaging 3.5 goals per game.
Strength: Set Pieces. Even with Kompany’s defensive concerns, Bayern are lethal offensively from corners with Tah and Upamecano attacking Kimmich’s deliveries.

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — Key Battles

Matchup	Battle Type	Edge
William Saliba vs. Harry Kane	The Master vs. The Apprentice: Saliba “pocketed” Kane last time at the Emirates. Kane will be desperate for revenge.	Arsenal
Bukayo Saka vs. Josip Stanišić	Mismatch Alert: Stanišić is a solid defender but lacks Davies’ recovery pace. Saka will look to roast him all night.	Arsenal
Ethan Nwaneri vs. Joshua Kimmich	Youth vs. Experience: The 18-year-old Nwaneri faces the ultimate test against Kimmich. If Kimmich dictates play, Arsenal will struggle.	Bayern

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — Spotlight Players

Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal):

The teenage sensation has stepped up massively in Ødegaard’s absence. Fresh off signing a new 5-year deal, his fearlessness and ability to drive through midfield lines will be vital. This is the biggest night of his young career.

Harry Kane (Bayern Munich):

The former Spurs captain returns to North London.³³ He has scored 14 goals this season and just netted a crucial equalizer against Union Berlin.³⁴ The Emirates crowd will boo him, but that usually only fuels him. He is the single biggest threat to Arsenal’s clean sheet record.

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — Fan Reactions

Arsenal Fans:

“We just smashed Spurs 4-1 without half our team. Bring on Bayern!”

“Saliba vs Kane Round 3. We know who wins that duel.”

Bayern Munich Fans:

“No Musiala and no Davies is tough, but Olise and Kane are enough to score.”

“Arsenal haven’t conceded yet? That changes on Wednesday.”

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — Match-Defining Factors

The “Zero Goal” Record: Arsenal are proud of their defensive record. If Bayern score early, how will this makeshift Arsenal backline (with Mosquera/Hincapié) react to adversity?
Set-Piece Battle: Kompany admitted Bayern are weak defending corners.³⁵ Arsenal are the best set-piece team in the world. Declan Rice’s delivery onto Saliba/Mosquera’s heads could decide the game.
Nicolas Jackson on the Wing: The former Chelsea man is playing out of position for Bayern due to Diaz’s suspension. Will he track back against Jurrien Timber?

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — Prediction

Score Prediction: Arsenal 2–1 Bayern Munich

Betting Insights:

Outcome: Arsenal to Win.
Both Teams to Score: YES (Bayern’s attack is too good to be blanked; Arsenal’s set-pieces will hurt Bayern).
Anytime Goalscorer: Bukayo Saka (Penalty or open play vs Stanišić).

Analysis: This is a fascinating tactical battle. Bayern have the firepower, but their injuries (Davies/Musiala) and suspension (Diaz) significantly weaken their wide dynamics. Arsenal’s defense, even reshuffled, is elite at home. Expect a tight game where Arsenal’s set-piece superiority exploits Bayern’s known weakness for a narrow victory.

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — Final Word

Two perfect records enter, but only one is likely to leave intact. Arsenal are playing with a swagger that suggests they truly believe they can win this tournament. Bayern Munich are lethal but fragile at the back. In front of a raucous Emirates crowd, expect Mikel Arteta’s men to make a massive statement by ending Bayern’s winning streak.

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich — FAQs

When is the Arsenal vs Bayern Munich match?

The match kicks off on Wednesday, 26 November 2025, at 20:00 GMT (01:30 IST Thursday).36

Is Harry Kane playing?

Yes, Harry Kane is fit and starts for Bayern Munich.

Is Martin Ødegaard back?

No, the Arsenal captain is still listed as a doubt with a knee injury and is not in the predicted XI.

Where can I watch the match in India?

You can watch the match live on Sony Sports Network and stream on JioTV.

Call to Action — SportsphereArena Community

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