Arsenal vs Bayern Munich LIVE commentary: Gunners host Harry Kane in Champions League quarter-finals – kick-off time, team news and how to follow

Arsenal will look to continue their imperious form when they seek revenge against Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

The Gunners have been unstoppable in 2024, but their old Bundesliga opponents represent the first major test of their European credentials.

Arsenal won 3-0 at Brighton last time out to remain unbeaten in the Premier League this calendar year.

During this series, Mikel Arteta’s men eliminated Porto to end their streak of seven successive eliminations in the round of 16 of the Champions League.

German giants Bayern are responsible for several of these humiliating defeats, including a 10-2 drubbing in 2016/17.

However, the six-time Champions League winners are no longer the fearsome prospect they once were despite the arrival of Harry Kane.

Bayern, led by former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, are sixteen points behind Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen and look set to relinquish their all-conquering grip on the Bundesliga.

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich: Kane and capable

Bayern will be counting on Kane to deliver the goods against Arsenal – and his goalscoring record suggests they would be right to do so.

Former Tottenham striker Kane will return to north London less than a season after leaving to face his old rivals.

His career has always been intrinsically linked to the Gunners, having been released from the club’s academy as a youngster.

From there, he signed for Tottenham and became Spurs’ all-time top scorer – also overtaking Thierry Henry for the most goals in the north London derby.

Kane has scored 14 goals in 19 matches against Arsenal, scoring only more against Leicester (20) and Everton (16) during his professional career.

The England captain is also the one who has scored the most goals by a visiting player at the Emirates Stadium (5), alongside Diogo Jota and Jamie Vardy.

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• Among the players still in contention this season, Kai Havertz is the one who applied the most intense pressures in the UEFA Champions League this season (374). Indeed, he knew how to get the best out of all the players present during Arsenal’s return victory against FC Porto in the round of 16 (70).
• Bukayo Saka has been directly involved in seven goals in seven UEFA Champions League matches this season (three goals, four assists), the most of any Arsenal player. The last player to register more goals and assists in a single campaign for the club was Alexis Sánchez in 2015-16 (eight – three goals, five assists).
• Arsenal’s victory against FC Porto last time out ended a run of five consecutive home defeats in the UEFA Champions League round of 16. The last time they won more than one home round of 16 match in a single season in the competition was in 2008-09 (against Roma and Villarreal), when they reached the semi-finals.

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich: team news

Arteta has given fans a boost by playing down lingering fears over Bukayo Saka’s fitness after the win at the Amex.

The hosts have just one missing major injury, with Jurrien Timber still recovering from the ACL he suffered at the start of the season.

Bayern can recall Dayot Upamecano from suspension, but are overwhelmed by a crowded treatment room.

Manuel Neuer, Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane are all doubts, but Noussair Mazraoui and Aleksandar Pavlovic are both expected to return from illness.

Gabriel Marusic, Tarek Buchman, Bouna Sarr, Sacha Boey and Noel Aseko are all confirmed absentees.

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• FC Bayern München have lost their last two away matches in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 (0-3 against Manchester City and 0-1 against Lazio); the last time they lost three times in a row away in the round of 16 was between April 2009 and April 2010 (defeats against Barcelona, ​​Fiorentina and Manchester United).
• This will be Arsenal’s first appearance in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals since 2009-10, when they lost 6-3 on aggregate to Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. Indeed, the Gunners have only progressed in two of their seven European Cup/UEFA Champions League quarter-finals to date.
• FC Bayern München have lost just one of their last six away matches against English sides in the UEFA Champions League (W4 D1), with their only defeat in this run coming against Manchester City last season . In the three matches played in London during the period (against Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea), the German team won all three by an aggregate score of 15-3.

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich: What was said?

Speaking after the win over Brighton, Arteta was asked if he had seen a difference in the club’s mentality compared to last year.

He replied: “I don’t know, I think we are in a very good moment, we have a healthy team with very good energy, with a lot of confidence, individually and collectively, because they are performing very well, and we are winning a lot of matches.

“We just have to keep doing what we’re doing.”

On what clicked, Arteta added: “At the end of the day it’s about performance.

“You have to earn the right to win the games in this league and the teams, they ask you a lot of questions and there are a lot of things you have to control in a Premier League game to win away.

“The team seems to be controlling these moments better and being comfortable in the different stages of matches, when teams demand all of that. This is the biggest stage as a team.”

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• This is the fifth UEFA Champions League campaign in which Arsenal and FC Bayern München will meet in the round of 16, with the German side having progressed each time (2004-05, 2012-13, 2013- 14 and 2016-17 – all in the round of 16).
• Arsenal have lost their last three matches against FC Bayern München by the same scoreline of 5-1 (all in the UEFA Champions League), their largest margin of defeat in European competition (four goals). The most recent encounter, in March 2017, was also Arsenal’s heaviest defeat in all competitions at the Emirates Stadium.
• FC Bayern München are the team with the most successful dribbles (113) and the best dribble success rate (60%) in the UEFA Champions League this season. Indeed, no player remains in 2023-24

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich: talkSPORT coverage

This Champions League clash will take place on Tuesday April 9.

Kick-off at the Emirates Stadium is scheduled for 8 p.m.

talkSPORT will have live coverage from north London, presented by Adrian Durham.

The comment comes from Jim Proudfoot and former Republic of Ireland midfielder Andy Townsend.