Arsenal vs Bayern Munich – UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase

Fixture: Arsenal vs Bayern Munich – UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League phase, Matchday 5
Date: Wednesday 26 November 2025
Kick-off: 20:00 local time (GMT)
Venue: Arsenal Stadium (Emirates Stadium), London, England
Competition: UEFA Champions League 2025/26 – League phase

European royalty meets one of the competition’s hungriest challengers when Arsenal welcome Bayern Munich to north London in a blockbuster UEFA Champions League League phase clash. Both sides arrive at the Emirates Stadium with a perfect record in the 2025/26 league phase so far, setting up a high-level contest between two of the most in-form teams in Europe.

Match Preview

Few fixtures in modern European football carry as much history and drama as Arsenal vs Bayern Munich. In previous eras this matchup often tilted heavily toward the German champions, but the context ahead of this league phase meeting feels very different. Arsenal have evolved into one of the most consistent teams on the continent under Mikel Arteta, and they enter this game unbeaten in all competitions across the autumn, sitting near the top of the Premier League and boasting a flawless Champions League record.

The Gunners’ Champions League campaign has been almost immaculate so far. Solid wins against Olympiacos, Atletico Madrid and Slavia Prague have highlighted their ability to control games, keep clean sheets and find different ways of scoring. They put four past Atleti in London, then followed up with a commanding 3-0 victory away to Slavia Prague to make it four wins from four in the league phase and extend an impressive sequence of European clean sheets.

Domestically, Arsenal have also looked assured. Recent results include wins away at Burnley and at home to Crystal Palace and Brighton, with a rotated side also progressing in the League Cup. The only recent blemish came in a 2-2 draw at Sunderland, a reminder that no side can maintain peak intensity every three days, but overall the pattern is clear: Arteta’s team is defending more solidly than at any previous point in his tenure and has added greater depth in attack.

On the other side, Bayern Munich arrive in London looking every bit as formidable. The German champions have started the season in devastating fashion, stringing together a long winning run across Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League, and they remain unbeaten heading into this clash. A statement 2-1 victory away at Paris Saint-Germain, achieved despite going down to ten men in the second half, underlined their resilience and big-game mentality.

Bayern’s league phase journey so far has featured a comfortable 3-1 win over Chelsea, a dominant performance at home to Club Brugge and a highly impressive triumph in Paris. They have scored freely, conceded very little and look physically powerful and tactically flexible under their new coaching setup. With stars like Harry Kane, Luis Diaz and Nicolas Jackson in excellent scoring form in Europe, Bayern carry multiple threats in the final third.

From a tactical perspective, this match has the potential to be one of the standout chess battles of the whole league phase. Arsenal’s strength is their structure: they build patiently from the back, compress space intelligently when out of possession and overload central zones with technically gifted midfielders who can both press and create. The likes of Martin Ødegaard, Declan Rice and emerging talents in attack give Arteta options to change height and tempo throughout the game.

Bayern, meanwhile, have the experience and firepower to exploit even small mistakes. Their positional play is aggressive, with full-backs and wingers stretching the pitch to create lanes for line-breaking passes into Kane’s feet or into runners attacking the half-spaces. Their recent performances show a willingness to press high for long spells but also to drop into a more compact mid-block when protecting a lead, as seen in their gritty closing stages away to PSG.

The psychological narrative is fascinating too. Historically, Bayern have often been a nightmare opponent for Arsenal in the Champions League. The Germans have won the majority of past meetings, including some heavy defeats for the Gunners in the 2010s and a gripping quarter-final tie in 2024. However, this is a very different Arsenal side from those earlier years, and recent form suggests the London club now have both the belief and the quality to compete on equal footing.

Momentum heading into Matchday 5 could hardly be stronger for either team. An article in the Spanish press recently highlighted that both Arsenal and Bayern are part of a very small group of clubs to have won all four league phase fixtures so far, leading the provisional combined table alongside Inter and confirming their status as early title contenders. At the same time, analysis pieces and supercomputer models now rank Arsenal among the top favorites to lift the trophy at the end of the season, with Bayern just behind them.

For Arsenal, a home win would be a powerful statement that they are no longer intimidated by European heavyweights and can control high-stakes occasions at the Emirates. It would also move them closer to securing a top-eight finish in the league phase and guarantee home advantage in the knockout rounds. For Bayern, leaving London with three points would extend their perfect start in all competitions and reinforce the sense that their new cycle is ready to challenge for another Champions League crown.

The margin for error is likely to be very small. Both sides are well organized defensively, and both possess the individual brilliance to decide the game in one moment: a Kane penalty, a Bukayo Saka cut-in from the right, a set-piece delivered perfectly into a crowded penalty area. Given the stakes, the atmosphere under the Emirates lights and the quality on display, this feels like one of those nights where European champions are made, even if the trophy will not be lifted for several months.

With London operating on GMT (UTC+0) at the end of November, the 20:00 kick-off time is prime evening viewing for UK fans, while international audiences will tune in across different time zones to see whether Arsenal can maintain their clean-sheet record in the league phase or whether Bayern’s relentless attack will finally break them down. Whatever the outcome, this is a must-watch showdown between two of the most complete sides in the current UEFA Champions League campaign.

TV Broadcast & Livestreams

The match is part of the global UEFA Champions League broadcast schedule, with coverage available on official rights holders across multiple regions. Fans should always check local listings, but the key options for Arsenal vs Bayern Munich Live Stream include:

• United Kingdom: Live on TNT Sports, streaming via discovery+ (TNT Sports plan).
• Germany: Coverage on DAZN and selected matches on Prime Video
• United States: Live in English on CBS Sports and streaming on Paramount+; Spanish-language coverage via TelevisaUnivision partners.
• Canada: Exclusive streaming on DAZN for all UEFA club competitions. 
• Australia: Live on Stan Sport, which holds Champions League rights in the territory. 

Availability may vary by country. Official broadcaster lists are maintained by UEFA and updated throughout the rights cycle. 

Match Information

Match details confirmed by UEFA and club sources. 

Odds (1X2)

Leading bookmakers currently rate Arsenal as slight favorites at home, but the market also reflects strong respect for Bayern Munich. Odds will move as team news emerges, so always check the latest prices before betting.

Odds ranges compiled from multiple bookmakers and comparison sites, including Oddschecker, Oddspedia and other betting portals as of mid November 2025. Values are subject to change and may differ by region.

Form & Head-to-Head

Recent Form – Last 5 Competitive Matches

Head-to-Head Record

The historical balance of Arsenal vs Bayern Munich meetings in European competition still favors the German side. Across Champions League clashes prior to this fixture, Bayern hold a clear edge in wins and goals scored.

UEFA’s historical head-to-head data shows Bayern with eight wins and Arsenal with three wins and three draws in their Champions League encounters, while other databases record a similar split with minor differences depending on which competitions are included. 

Many of those Bayern victories came in the mid 2010s, including two heavy aggregate wins in the round of 16. However, more recent meetings have been far more balanced, including a tightly contested quarter-final in 2024. The historical narrative still favors Bayern, but current form and squad profiles suggest that the gap has narrowed significantly.

Standings

With four league phase matches played ahead of this clash, both Arsenal and Bayern Munich sit near the very top of the combined Champions League table, each with a perfect record and an impressive goal difference.

Data combined from statistical sites and press reports that highlight both clubs’ perfect four-win starts and identical +11 goal differences ahead of Matchday 5.

Prediction

With both clubs in such outstanding form, predicting a clear winner is difficult. On paper Bayern Munich have greater historical pedigree in the Champions League and a slight edge in experience, especially in knockout-style evenings away from home. At the same time, this is arguably the strongest and most balanced Arsenal squad of the modern era, and recent models and expert previews increasingly view them as genuine contenders to win the competition.

The Emirates factor should not be underestimated. Arsenal have turned their home ground into a fortress in European nights, and their defensive record in the league phase so far is exceptional, with no goals conceded in the first four fixtures. Bayern’s attacking quality will almost certainly test that statistic, but it is reasonable to expect the Gunners to create plenty of chances of their own given Bayern’s occasionally high-risk back line.

Taking into account current form, the tactical matchup and the slightly stronger home advantage, a narrow Arsenal victory feels like the most plausible outcome, although it would be no surprise if Bayern leave London with a result.

Free Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Bayern Munich

This scoreline reflects the expectation of an open, high-quality contest in which both sides create chances, but Arsenal’s home edge, defensive structure and momentum in the league phase tilt the balance just enough in their favor. As always, any betting decisions should be made responsibly and based on the latest information, including confirmed lineups and market movements.