Bayern Munich vs Arsenal: 3 key battles as Olise suspension offers Arteta hope

Arsenal return to a stadium that has given them many miserable nights in the past this week, when they face Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.

The iconic venue in Bavaria has been home to some of the Gunners' lowest moments in recent times. Consecutive 5-1 defeats in Arsene Wenger's latter days and a quarter-final exit in 2024 remain among Arsenal's most painful European memories, with the German giants repeatedly proving to be a formidable obstacle for the North Londoners.

While the stakes won't be quite as high in this particular league phase encounter, Mikel Arteta will be desperate for his team to right some wrongs at this ground by securing a positive result. The Spaniard will also be keen for his side to continue the positive momentum they've built at the start of this season.

Bayern have endured a turbulent few weeks by their standards, with draws against Augsburg and Viking sending the perennial Bundesliga champions into a mini-crisis. That said, they returned to winning ways with a 6-1 thrashing of RB Leipzig over the weekend.

Crucially for the Gunners, Michael Olise won't feature on Wednesday night after being sent off for throwing the ball at a Viking player in Norway last week. Bayern's system revolves around Olise's creativity, and thus the Gunners should be optimistic about their ability to contain Vincent Kompany's side, given the Belgian's team will be without their talismanic wide man.

With that said, here are the key battles that we believe could be pivotal in dictating the outcome of the game at the Allianz.

Harry Kane vs Gabriel Magalhaes

Harry Kane and Gabriel Magalhaes' rivalry predates the Brazilian's well-documented battle with Erling Haaland. Gabriel and the England captain were squaring off as far back as 2020, when Kane would regularly get the better of his then-inexperienced counterpart.

This old feud will reignite on Wednesday, and whoever comes out on top has a good chance of emerging with the points. Without Olise, there'll be additional pressure on Kane to deliver for Bayern in the final third.

It's possible that the absence of the former Crystal Palace man will push Kane into deeper areas as Kompany's side search for a new creator. Regardless, he'll undoubtedly come into contact with Gabriel throughout, and the Arsenal centre-back will need to use his physicality and reading of the game to negate the striker's threat.

Konrad Laimer vs Noni Madueke

Noni Madueke impressed off the bench on the left flank against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, and has arguably done enough to keep his place for the clash with Bayern. His left-footedness and direct ball carrying give Arsenal a different threat to what Eberechi Eze provides, and they'll need this profile of player at the Allianz.

Bayern will likely have more of the ball and dominate territory, making it essential that the Gunners have an outball and some pace in transition. Madueke can provide this.

If the natural right-sider does get the nod on the left, he'll be up against Konrad Laimer, who has been converted from being a midfielder to being a right-back in recent seasons. While the Austrian is a competent defender, Madueke could have a field day if he can stretch his opposite number using his acceleration.

Joshua Kimmich vs Declan Rice

Joshua Kimmich remains Bayern's conductor in midfield, despite nearing the end of his career. The German gets on the ball more than anyone else for die Roten, and is almost entirely responsible for their ball progression.

If Arsenal want to stop the supply line to the likes of Kane and Luis Diaz, they'll need to station Declan Rice on Kimmich. The Arsenal midfielder will need to press the veteran number six high, using his strength to bully his counterpart, preventing Kimmich from orchestrating proceedings in the middle of the park.

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