Bayern face Arsenal without Olise: Matthäus expects ‘close call’ for Kompany
Michael Olise is suspended after his sending-off in Stavanger. Ahead of Wednesday’s showdown, history favors Bayern, who have not lost at home in this stage of the competition since 2013.
Archive image · Photo: Bryan Berlin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Bayern Munich will be without Michael Olise for Wednesday’s Champions League match against Arsenal (9 p.m. local time). The forward was sent off for a second yellow card in a 3-3 draw at Viking Stavanger on Oct. 13, an incident coach Vincent Kompany called “super stupid” at the time. Lothar Matthäus wrote in his Sky column: “He punished himself with his sending-off, because every footballer burns for games like this.” Kompany has “three players for two positions; it will be a close decision,” he added.
According to Bayern, the club has been unbeaten in group and league-phase home games since a 3-2 loss to Manchester City in December 2013. Of 15 Champions League meetings with Arsenal, Bayern have won eight, drawn three and lost four. Harry Kane, a former Arsenal youth player, has scored 15 goals in 22 games against the London club.
Arsenal have won 14 straight league-phase matches, including 1-0 at Napoli and 3-0 against Lille this season. Last season, they beat Bayern 3-1 in London. Manuel Neuer, whose availability is uncertain, has 162 Champions League appearances – one short of Thomas Müller’s German record.