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Mon 19 October 2015 15:51, UK

Bayern Munich have made a record-breaking start to the season, but our Bundesliga expert Kevin Hatchard believes Arsenal can end the German champions’ winning run if the hosts play to their potential…
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Arsenal v Bayern Munich
Tuesday, 19:45
Live on BT Sport Europe
Arsenal
After defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos, Arsenal have no margin for error in the Champions League, as they look to avoid their first group-stage exit for 16 years. A familiar foe looms on the horizon; a Bayern Munich side that dumped the Gunners out of the competition in 2013 and 2014. In both ties, the German champions won at the Emirates, and a third consecutive victory for Bayern in north London could prevent Arsenal from meeting them again in the knockout phase.
Since a disastrous 3-2 home defeat to Olympiakos, Arsenal have rebuilt their confidence with comprehensive Premier League wins over Manchester United and Watford. The 3-0 dismantling of United was particularly impressive, as Arsene Wenger’s side scored all three goals in the first 19 minutes, the football equivalent of a first-round knockout. When Arsenal click, they can be unstoppable, but such events are maddeningly rare for the Gunners’ faithful.
Wenger insists his side will attack Bayern, and playing on the front foot is surely Arsenal’s best chance of success. In Germany, Bayern are used to hogging possession and playing opponents who sometimes show them too much respect. In Bayern’s 5-1 home wins over supposed title rivals Borussia Dortmund and Wolfsburg, the visitors were forced into errors they wouldn’t normally make, as the daunting psychological challenge of facing Germany’s top club took its toll.
Arsenal need to be flawless, but they have players capable of punching holes in Bayern’s rearguard. We shouldn’t forget that when the teams met at the Emirates in 2014, Arsenal started superbly, and the game might have finished differently had Mesut Ozil put away an early penalty.
This season Ozil has surely started to win over some of his most ardent critics. He has a league-high six assists in the Premier League, and has created more chances for other players than anyone else.
Alexis Sanchez is another player Arsenal need to hit top gear if they are to win. After helping Chile win the Copa America, Sanchez understandably started the campaign slowly, but like a boulder rolling downhill he has gathered momentum. In his last six games for club and country, Sanchez has netted ten goals, and he hasn’t failed to score in a game in which he’s started since the 2-0 defeat at Chelsea a month ago.
Wenger must decide whether to persist with usual cup keeper David Ospina, or whether to select Petr Cech. Olivier Giroud returns from suspension, but Theo Walcott’s encouraging recent form suggests he may be given the nod ahead of the Frenchman.
Bayern Munich
One of Bayern Munich’s most impressive achievements in recent seasons has been to make the extraordinary seem routine. Yet another record fell under the wheels of the Bavarian juggernaut at the weekend, as Bayern became the first team in Bundesliga history to win the first nine matches of a season. Although Pep Guardiola’s stellar side only beat struggling Werder Bremen 1-0 at the Weserstadion, they were in control of the match from the first whistle against opponents who sat deep and were too timid to really go for it.
In all the hype generated by Robert Lewandowski’s superhuman form this season, Thomas Muller’s impressive campaign has been shunted to the periphery by many, but his winner on Saturday took his goal tally for the season to 15 for club and country in just 16 games. Incredibly, in the last 43 Bundesliga games in which Muller has scored, Bayern have won every single time.
Bayern have already comfortably disposed of Olympiakos and Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, and if they can extend their winning run to 13 matches in all competitions on Tuesday night, they will move to within touching distance of the last 16. Despite a recent return to training, Arjen Robben still isn’t fit to return to action, but Brazilian winger Douglas Costa is expected to start. Promising French teenager Kingsley Coman has recovered from a knock, and could be used as an attacking impact sub. Mario Gotze, Mehdi Benatia, Franck Ribery and Holger Badstuber are all out.
Match Odds
Bayern’s strong recent record at the Emirates and their winning run this season has contributed to their price of 1.95 for the victory, but I think that’s a touch too short. It sounds absurd given their results, but Bayern have actually had spells in games where they have dipped well below their brilliant best. Before Lewandowski scored five goals in nine second-half minutes, Bayern were poor against Wolfsburg, and they were extremely fortunate to come away from a game at Hoffenheim with a 2-1 win.
This is Bayern’s toughest away game of the season so far, and they are facing an Arsenal side who have their backs against the wall and need to attack. Although Jerome Boateng has been simply sensational in defence, I think Arsenal’s pace in attack can expose Javi Martinez, especially if Xabi Alonso is deployed in a defensive midfield role ahead of him.
It’s a big if, but if Arsenal can get anywhere near to their level of performance against United, they can cause problems for a Bayern side that aren’t quite as impregnable as their winning run suggests. Although Arsenal have looked extremely vulnerable defensively at times this term, I think the presence of first-choice centre-backs Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny gives them a fighting chance of restricting Lewandowski and Muller. Add in the form of Ozil and Sanchez, and I think Bayern can be opposed at 1.95.
Over/Under 2.5 Goals
This is a tricky one. Three of the last four meetings between the sides have featured fewer than three goals, and Bayern have kept clean sheets in their last four away games. On that basis, backing Under 2.5 Goals at 2.44 is tempting. However, the only way I can see Arsenal winning this is to really go for it and try to swarm Bayern’s defence, and whether that works or it doesn’t, it’s an approach that should lead to goals.
To Score
When he’s on his game, Alexis Sanchez is a relentlessly effective forward, and his excellent goalscoring run means his price of 3.20 on the Sportsbook to score at any time is attractive. If Arsenal are to get a result, Sanchez will surely be at the heart of things.
On the Bayern side of things, Muller 2.20 and Lewandowski 1.72 are the obvious choices, as between them they have scored 27 of Bayern’s 37 goals in the Bundesliga and Champions League.
Recommended Bets
Lay Bayern Munich at 1.95
Back Alexis Sanchez to score at 3.20
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