Before the Arsenal – Bayern match: A tough challenge for the home team.

Ahead of their away match in England early tomorrow morning, Bayern are in superb form. In the Bundesliga, they are 15 points ahead of second-placed Dortmund; a gap that allows them to focus entirely on the Champions League.

Neuer and Schweinsteiger were very confident at the press conference before the match against Arsenal (Photo: Getty Images).

Furthermore, the bitter defeat at home to Chelsea in last season's final has made Bayern even more determined this season. The presence of Pep Guardiola, who is very experienced in the Champions League having led Barcelona to two titles, will help Bayern Munich overcome the "naivety" that has been seen in this competition in recent years.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have virtually no hope left in the domestic league, and their bitter elimination from the FA Cup midweek is the clearest evidence of the Gunners' current form.

In terms of personnel, Arsenal will most likely field Thomas Vermaelen at left-back as their two first-choice options in that position, Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs, are both unavailable. While Nacho Monreal played for Malaga in the Champions League group stage, Kieran Gibbs is currently suffering from a thigh injury.

Furthermore, Mikel Arteta is still not fully recovered from injury and his participation in this match remains uncertain. Coach Arsene Wenger also revealed that he will most likely not field Olivier Giroud in this game. Arsenal's attacking trio will be Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla, and Lukas Podolski.

Arsenal and Bayern have only met a total of four times in the Champions League, with the London team winning only one match. However, Arsenal can be optimistic when looking at historical statistics. For the past 12 years, Bayern have not won in England. Their last victory was against Manchester United in 2001, the same season Bayern last won the Champions League after beating Valencia in the final.

Predicted lineup: