Kane leads Bayern against Arsenal as Kimmich and Olise miss out
Harry Kane starts up front for Bayern Munich when they host Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, but two of the club's best-known players will not be on the pitch. Joshua Kimmich is not in the squad, and Michael Olise is suspended. Kick-off is 8pm BST at the Allianz Arena in Munich, and the referee is Davide Massa of Italy.
The Guardian's live coverage lists Bayern's starting XI as Neuer, Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Stanisic, Pavlovic, Bischof, Gnabry, Saibari, Davies and Kane. Kane, the England striker, is the main target man, the player the team aims its passes at.
Kimmich, a midfielder and Germany captain, is missing for personal reasons. FC Bayern's official live ticker says he is not in the squad because of a bereavement in his immediate family. The club has not said more.
Olise was sent off in Bayern's 3-3 draw with Viking, a Champions League match, and he is suspended for this one. Head coach Vincent Kompany said Olise had apologised and had "let the team down" after that game. Olise is a winger, and his absence leaves a big gap on the right side of Bayern's attack.
Bayern come into the match on the back of mixed results. They beat RB Leipzig 6-1, drew 2-2 at Augsburg, and then drew 3-3 with Viking. This is the third round of the league phase, a stage of the Champions League where every game counts towards a place in the knockout rounds.
Arsenal have been in strong form. Before this match they had won 10 of their 11 games in all competitions this season. Their line-up, as listed by the Guardian, is Raya, Timber, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori, Odegaard, Rice, Guimaraes, Saka, Havertz and Madueke. Eze and White are on the bench.
Munich has not been kind to Arsenal. They have lost each of their last three visits there: 1-5 in 2015, 1-5 in 2017 and 0-1 in 2024. The sides last met in November 2025, when Arsenal beat Bayern 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium in London.
For a neutral, the appeal is simple. Two sides with very different recent records meet in a stadium where Arsenal have struggled, and both have to make their absences count. A casual fan does not need to know the tactics to see the story. Bayern have to find a way to play without two big names, and Arsenal have to show that their run of wins can travel.
