Arsenal vs Bayern Champions League quarter-final first leg preview: Where to watch, kick-off time, predicted line-ups

Arsenal and Bayern meet in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday 9 April.

Where to watch Arsenal vs Bayern on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.

What do you need to know?

Arsenal have reached this stage for the first time since 2010 and they face the team who ended that campaign in emphatic style. Indeed, Bayern have won seven of the teams' 12 contests, including the last three all with a 5-1 scoreline, though it would be some achievement if they asserted anything like that dominance on this current vibrant Gunners outfit.

Mikel Arteta's side have been prolific in front of goal at home and in Europe this year, although they did require penalties to squeeze past Porto in the round of 16. Bayern saw off Lazio 3-1 on aggregate at that stage to reach a record 22nd Champions League quarter-final but will need a better first-leg display here than in that tie, when they were beaten in Rome.

Predicted line-ups

Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu; Rice, Ødegaard, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Suspended: None 
Misses next match if booked: Havertz, Rice

Bayern: Neuer; Kimmich, De Ligt, Dier, Guerreiro; Laimer, Goretzka; Sané, Musiala, Coman; Kane
Suspended: None
Misses next match if booked: Boey, Davies, Goretzka

Form guide

Arsenal
Form (all competitions, most recent first): WWDWWW
Most recent result: Brighton 0-3 Arsenal, 06/04, English Premier League

Bayern
Form (all competitions, most recent first): LLWWWD
Most recent result: Heidenheim 3-2 Bayern, 06/04, German Bundesliga

Expert predictions

Joe Terry, Arsenal reporter
For a period during the last decade, it felt that Bayern were a bad luck charm for Arsenal, so often did they draw the Bavarian giants in the Champions League knockout rounds and end up on the losing side. How different the landscape feels now, with Bayern going through a difficult spell and Arsenal chasing silverware in Europe and domestically. All the conditions are set for the Gunners to both exorcise some ghosts from their past and claim the scalp of a huge European club in their pursuit of Champions League glory.

James Thorogood, Bayern reporter
As they look to avoid a first trophyless season since 2012, Bayern are putting all of their eggs in the basket of a competition they've won six times previously. Harry Kane's goalscoring form has provided the silver lining during the German record titleholders' toughest campaign in over a decade with the England captain chipping in with 38 goals and 12 assists across 37 games in all competitions. Marking his first return to London with Bayern since leaving boyhood club Tottenham, Kane won't need added motivation, but has it as he takes on former rivals Arsenal.

What the coaches say

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal coach: "We have a big task against one of the most successful clubs in the Champions League. We are looking forward to it. Bayern are a top team, and I'm a big admirer of Thomas [Tuchel] and the way he sets up his teams. I've learned a lot about him. When you analyse Bayern deeply, you know they're a top team. We have to prepare well and take our game where we want it. If we do that we have a chance of winning."

Thomas Tuchel, Bayern coach: "Arsenal are currently the best team in the Premier League; all statistics prove that. They're in fantastic form. We've performed well so far in the Champions League this season. We've achieved our minimum goal: not many teams can reach the quarter-finals. Things can now often come down to a bit of luck and games are decided on the day, maybe even by one or two refereeing decisions. We want to reach the semi-finals. We need two top performances to achieve that."

Where is the 2024 Champions League final?

©Getty Images

The best of the best will be crowned on the ultimate stage when the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League season concludes at London's prestigious Wembley Stadium on Saturday 1 June.