Bayern Munich and Arsenal meet for the second time in two weeks on Wednesday as the Champions League contenders look to take the next step towards qualification for the knockout stage.
The Bavarians handily won their first two Group F matches against Olympiakos and Dinamo Zagreb, while the Gunners were defeated by the same opposition.
In round three, however, Arsene Wenger outfoxed Pep Guardiola and his team in a 2-0 win at the Emirates. The result left Bayern level with Olympiakos on six points, with Arsenal and Zagreb both trailing by three.
Written off as certain for a group-stage exit after the first two rounds, Arsenal now have a chance to go level on points with group favorites Bayern.
Ahead of the match, center-back Per Mertesacker urged his side to be cautious against a wounded Bayern side that will be keen to make up their previous disappointment.
"[Bayern] will be angry," Mertesacker said, per James Candy of the Independent. "We showed we can beat them, that’s a good sign, but it will be a different game at their place."
Bayern midfielder Arturo Vidal was bullish ahead of Wednesday's encounter, vowing to Bild (via Stephan Uersfeld of ESPN), "We will score from our chances this time, and keep the three points.
"On Wednesday, we'll show Arsenal the real FC Bayern."
Date: Wednesday, 4 November
Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT / 2:45 p.m. EST / 8:45 p.m. local time
Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich
TV Info: Fox Sports 1 (U.S. only), BT Sport Europe (UK only)
Live Stream: Fox Soccer 2Go (U.S. only), BT Sport (UK only)
Predicted Lineups
Bayern Munich
At his pre-match press conference on Tuesday (via Spox, in German), Guardiola revealed that only Jan Kirchhoff and Franck Ribery will be missing. Otherwise, he should have a full squad to choose from.
The trainer will have to select between the options of using more attackers or midfielders, with one of Vidal, Xabi Alonso, Thiago Alcantara, Arjen Robben, Thomas Muller and Douglas Costa on the bench.
Possible Bayern starting XI: Neuer; Lahm, Martinez, Boateng, Alaba; Vidal, Alonso; Robben, Muller, Costa; Lewandowski.
Arsenal
Wenger's men are in the midst of an injury crisis, with Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott all out for the next few weeks. Adding to the injury woes, Hector Bellerin has been ruled out, with Wenger telling reporters Mathieu Debuchy "will play."
The Gunners manager will have to change his tactical approach from that he used against Bayern two weeks ago, with the Telegraph's Jeremy Wilson reporting that Kieran Gibbs is likely to start on the left wing and Alexis Sanchez on the right ahead of the less experienced Joel Campbell.
Possible Arsenal starting XI: Cech; Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Cazorla, Coquelin; Alexis, Ozil, Gibbs; Giroud.
Players to Watch
Bayern have a wide range of attacking options, each with his own particular skill set and strengths. Robben, Muller, Costa, Robert Lewandowski and Kingsley Coman have performed well in the Bundesliga as of late, and the synergy of whichever front three or four Guardiola decides on will be critical.
For Arsenal, the two biggest threats are Mesut Ozil and Alexis, upon whom the Gunners will rely to provide the necessary spark in attack. At the same time, how Gibbs fares in an advanced role and how Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny do against Lewandowski could also be very important to the result.
Arturo Vidal vs. Mesut Ozil
In the first leg, Ozil proved heroic for the Gunners, pulling the strings in midfield as Alexis struggled to make his way on the wing. The Germany international put the result out of reach at the death, but was hugely influential beforehand. His form on the night could make all the difference in Wednesday's clash.
Vidal will likely be Bayern's defender most dedicated to marking Ozil, as other options like Alonso and Thiago will be more concerned with distributing the ball. The Chilean has great attacking quality as well, but will need to balance that skill with his defensive responsibilities.
Douglas Costa vs. Mathieu Debuchy
Bellerin vs. Costa was an epic head-to-head encounter in the first leg, with the Brazilian humiliating his opponent with a clever dribble move in the first half before the Spaniard set up Ozil for Arsenal's late second. On Wednesday, fans will not be able to see the two square off again due to Bellerin's injury. Instead, Debuchy will be the man Arsenal will rely upon to keep Costa quiet.
Costa has had a great season thus far, and in all likelihood, Bayern's attacking moves will primarily run through him. Debuchy will have to be on top of his game on Wednesday if he is to step well into Bellerin's boots.
