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Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski is keen to score goals against Arsenal Getty Images

Arsenal travel to Bayern Munich on Wednesday, 4 November, needing at least a point to get themselves back in contention for a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League. The Gunners have beaten Bayern 2-0 at the Emirates, but a series of injuries to first team players will take a valiant effort from the Premiere League side, to replicate the result from the home game.

Where to watch live

Kick-off is set for 7.45pm GMT. Live coverage of the game will be on BT Sport Europe and BT Sport Europe HD.

Overview

Bayern are ready to take on the Gunners and prove their superiority, after they suffered their first loss of the season in the reverse fixture at the Emirates. The Bundesliga side had more than 2/3 of the possession, but Arsenal hit them on the break and goals from Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil, helped them gain the upper hand in the fixture.

Bayern will be confident of breaking the trend at home this time, despite not having the best of records against the Gunners in recent years. They have failed to win in any of their last two attempts, losing in 2013 while drawing in the corresponding year. The Bavarians, however, secured qualification into the next stage in the first leg at the Emirates on each of the occasions.

Meanwhile, the Gunners would need a miracle to get them out of this melee, having lost their first two fixtures against Olympiacos and Dinamo Zagreb. A loss here would mean that the Gunners would have to win their next two games, while hoping that Olympiacos are not able to take any points from Bayern when the Bavarians visit them on their turf.

Arsenal are without nine of their first choice players, with Hector Bellerin joining a the long list of absentees including Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Danny Welbeck, Mikel Arteta, David Ospina, Tomas Rosicky and Jack Wilshere. The defender completed 90 minutes against Swansea, but fell short of his desired fitness levels, which has ruled him out of the fixture at the Allianz Arena. Joel Campbell is expected to keep his position on the right after impressing last weekend, while Jeff Rene-Adelaide has been recalled into the side to make up the numbers.

What managers say

Pep Guardiola: "Arsenal want to attack and build up but when you press Mertesacker and Koscielny, they don't want to play. They play long balls to Giroud. Also, if they lose the ball and we make two or three passes, Mertesacker doesn't want to stay high up, so they go back in their box and defend there. Arsenal will try long balls to Giroud. Cech will not play the ball to defenders, he will try long balls to Giroud. We have to defend well and be ready for that."

Arsene Wenger: "I don't want to take anything away from Bayern, they are playing extremely well. But I think it is a good opportunity for us to show that we are moving forward, that we are up to the test. What you want is 100 per cent commitment from your players in an intelligent way. We just want to do what it takes to make a positive result."

Betting odds

  • Bayern Munich win: 2/5
  • Draw: 22/5
  • Arsenal win: 13/2

Team news

Bayern Munich

Possible XI: Neuer, Lahm, Boateng, Martinez, Alaba, Alonso, Vidal, Costa, Robben, Muller, Lewandowski.

Arsenal

Possible XI: Cech, Debuchy, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Moreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ozil, Sanchez, Campbell, Giroud.

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