Ultimate test for the German record champions
Matchday 5 in the UEFA Champions League brings with it many interesting matches. However, the absolute highlight will take place on Wednesday evening at London’s Emirates Stadium. There, the two perhaps best club teams in the world at the moment will face each other in a direct duel. For FC Bayern, who remain unbeaten in all competitions, the task at the Gunners, who are after all the confident leaders of the Premier League, is the ultimate challenge!
The flagship teams from London and Munich are currently considered the hottest contenders for the trophy and have lived up to their role as favorites in the first four matchdays. Both teams have the maximum haul of twelve points. Neither Arteta’s team nor Kompany’s team has been behind in any of the four matches so far. This makes it all the more difficult to make a reliable prediction between Arsenal and Bayern.
It will be exciting and, at times, decisive to see whether the home team or the visitors will be able to make their mark on this encounter. Will it be a tactical match dominated by strong defenses without many goals, or will Munich’s in-form offense find ways to break down London’s concrete defense?
Arsenal vs. Bayern Prediction AI
However, if you place a bet on the German record champions, you will be going against the assessment of artificial intelligence. The AI tends to favor a home win. At least, that’s what the xG values of 1.62 to 1.18 and the 49% probability of victory suggest. Because Betano is offering 2.25 on the Gunners to win in the three-way market instead of an implied 2.05, the Arsenal vs. Bayern AI prediction for the Londoners actually represents plausible value.
Arsenal – Statistics & current form
The dress rehearsal for Wednesday evening’s Champions League summit meeting went absolutely according to plan for Arsenal Football Club. In the North London derby against Tottenham, the Gunners won 4-1 at home, extending their lead at the top of the Premier League table to six points. The capital club has collected 29 points in the first twelve matchdays. In addition, coach Mikel Arteta’s team has the (shared) best offense and the most stable defense in the league. Above all, their outstanding defense is currently unmatched in Europe.
Arsenal’s defense is the benchmark in European soccer
In the Champions League, Spanish goalkeeper David Raya has yet to concede a single goal in the first four matchdays. All four games were won with a clean sheet. The PL leaders are also currently the benchmark in the Champions League in terms of xGA (1.94) and shots on goal allowed (seven).
Looking back at the last eight CL matches in the league phase, the Red and Whites have eight wins and a goal difference of 24:2. Over the entire season, only four of the Gunners’ 18 competitive matches ended with four or more goals scored.
However, there are not really many arguments that tip the balance in favor of the visitors between Arsenal and Bayern. The most likely factor to be taken into consideration is the absence of center back Gabriel Magalhaes. Together with William Saliba, the Brazilian is the heart of the well-rehearsed back four. There is also a question mark over the availability of center forward Viktor Gyökeres, meaning that in the worst-case scenario, Mikel Merino, a trained defensive midfielder, will once again lead the attack.
Bayern – Statistics & current form
While Arteta’s in-form side, who last lost a competitive game on August 31 and have won eleven of their last twelve matches in all competitions, are primarily defined by their strong, disciplined and structured work off the ball, Bayern clearly see their strengths in attack. Their 14 goals in four Champions League games are the best record of all 36 participants. In the Bundesliga, they have scored 41 goals in eleven games, six of them last Saturday when SC Freiburg were outclassed 6-2 after trailing 0-2.
Bayern star Kane feels at home at the Emirates
The Munich team, which has not lost a single competitive game this season, will certainly want to build on their near-perfect first half in the away game against PSG in London. Three weeks ago, Kompany’s team pressed across the entire pitch for 45 minutes at the Parc des Princes, preventing the reigning Champions League winners from developing their game and leading 2-0 at half-time. If they can put in a similarly dominant performance at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening, there are attractive odds on the away team for the Arsenal vs. Bayern match. These include DNB, which guarantees a cashback on your stake in the event of a draw.
In addition, it might be a good idea to bet on Harry Kane as a goalscorer. The long-time star of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club knows the matches against their North London rivals from many years of experience and has scored 15 times in a total of 21 matches against the Gunners. His six goals at the Emirates Stadium are unmatched by any other player worldwide. If Kane adds another goal to his tally, Bet365 will reward you with odds of up to 2.60 in the Arsenal vs. Bayern match.
Arsenal – Bayern Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
The Arsenal vs. Bayern pairing has a colorful history. The teams have met 14 times in the UEFA Champions League. Munich has celebrated eight victories and has only been defeated three times, with three draws. The Gunners have not won any of the last five matches (0-1-4). Three of the four defeats since 2015 ended with a final score of 1-5 for the Londoners. Arsenal FC would therefore definitely not describe the boys from Säbener Straße as their favorite opponents. However, before facing the German record champions, the English team was rarely in such good form as it is currently.
Arsenal – Bayern Tip
The top match of the 5th CL matchday invites the use of superlatives. For many experts, for example, it is the clash between the best defense in Europe and the continent’s currently strongest offense. This makes it all the more difficult to predict whether it will be a high-scoring or low-scoring game. Basically, however, I assume that – if anything – the game will only really get going after the break. Before that, I think there will be too much mutual respect and too much danger of falling behind early on.
However, I do see a realistic chance that FCB will return to the Isar with three points in the bag. Kompany’s team remains unbeaten in all competitions, is brimming with confidence, and has lost only three of its last 52 Champions League matches in the league or group stage.
