Arsenal have clear route to victory as Bayern Munich’s plan leaked ahead of Champions League clash
Arsenal have a daunting proposition on their hands as they prepare to take on Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.
The top two sides in the Champions League table are set to meet at the Emirates Stadium in midweek, with their pair of 100 per cent records in European action ready to be put on the line.
Eberechi Eze’s hat-trick carried Arsenal past Tottenham in the North London Derby on Sunday, meaning that the Gunners will be heading into the midweek clash with plenty of confidence, despite lining up against a team who are yet to be beaten in any competition this season.
Mikel Arteta will be desperate to try and outsmart his opposite number Vincent Kompany, and he should be in no doubt as to how his team can win the game after the latest reveal from Germany.
Arsenal need to play Bayern Munich on the break
Eze will be hoping to pick up where he left off for Arsenal after his exploits at the weekend, but he and his teammates are facing a hugely difficult test on Wednesday.
Not only are Kompany’s men unbeaten in all competitions, but they have only failed to win in one of their 17 competitive games so far in 2025-26.
The German giants notched a hugely impressive 2-1 victory away at PSG in their last Champions League outing, and Bayern legend Lothar Matthaus expects them to attack the game in a similar fashion to how they did in the French capital.
“I expect the Munich team in London to perform similarly to the win in Paris and try to take control from the beginning,” the 64-year-old told Sky Sports Germany.
“Bayern stands for dominance, and they showed that at PSG as they defended very little in the first half.”
With that in mind, Arsenal will surely be better served trying to sit in and play their visitors on the break, rather than trying to take the game to them in the early stages.
The North Londoners boast the best defence in the Premier League, having shipped just six goals so far this season, and they must trust their ability to defend their box on Wednesday.
It will be unusual for Arsenal to concede their advantage at home, but it could be their route to success against such an all-conquering team.
Lotthar Matthaus shares key Bayern Munich ‘weakness’
Arsenal have already been boosted for the Bayern Munich clash by the fact that the visitors may be without several key stars for their visit to London.
Alphonso Davies, Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry are all doubts for the midweek fixture, and Arteta and Co. will be licking their lips if they are ultimately unable to feature.
| Team | Set Piece xG | |
| 1 | Arsenal | 8.08 |
| 2 | Crystal Palace | 7.29 |
| 3 | Brentford | 5.75 |
| 4 | Bournemouth | 5.07 |
| 5 | Manchester United | 5.07 |
Matthaus also opened up on a key “weakness” that Kompany’s men possess, as he noted that they have “recently conceded four goals from dead balls” in the Bundesliga.
That will undoubtedly be music to the ears of Arteta and Co. given the well-publicised threat that they carry from set plays, as they boast the highest xG from set pieces of any Premier League team this season, according to StatMuse.
Arsenal fans will hope to see their team take the game to Bayern in midweek, but remaining patient and looking to exploit counter-attacks and dead ball situations may hold the key to victory for them.