Champions League contenders Bayern Munich face an early test on Wednesday when they host English champions Arsenal without in-form winger Michael Olise.
Olise, who was born in London and began his career in Arsenal’s youth setup, is suspended after receiving two yellow cards within a minute during Bayern’s 3-3 draw with Viking last week.
Having been booked for a foul, a visibly frustrated Olise reacted to verbal provocation from Viking captain Zlatko Tripic by throwing the ball at his head, earning the first red card of his career.
The former Crystal Palace winger, who entered Ballon d’Or contention thanks to last season’s outstanding performances, has maintained his excellent form in this campaign.
In 10 games across all competitions for Bayern, Olise has recorded nine goals and five assists.
With Jamal Musiala battling injury and illness and both Serge Gnabry and Lennart Karl far from their best form, Olise and the ever-dependable Harry Kane have carried Bayern’s attacking load so far this season.
The England captain has nine goals and six assists in 10 games. Trailing 2-0 away at Viking last week, Kane almost single-handedly drove a comeback, scoring twice and setting up another goal.
Speaking after Bayern’s ruthless 6-1 Bundesliga win over RB Leipzig on Saturday, Kane said Bayern would miss Olise but urged the rest of their star-studded squad to step up.
“Missing one of your biggest players, you’re going to feel it for sure, but that’s where other people have to step up and show they can take their opportunity,” Kane said.
“We talk about the squad a lot; we talk about being ready for your moment, and whoever plays will have to be ready.”
Luis Diaz’s performance stood out as one of the bright spots in Saturday’s emphatic victory over Leipzig.
The 29-year-old had looked a frustrated figure following a poor start to the season, but he scored three goals and set up another in one of his finest performances since arriving from Liverpool in 2025.
Although he swapped north London for the Bavarian capital back in 2023, former Tottenham captain Kane has faced Arsenal plenty of times since joining Bayern.
Bayern met the Gunners in both quarter-final legs in 2023-24, advancing by a single goal, but were outplayed in a 3-1 loss during the league phase of last year’s competition.
With domestic and international fixtures arriving thick and fast, Kane has had no time to exchange pleasantries with any of his Arsenal rivals.
“I spoke to them a bit during the previous international break, and we knew the game was coming up, but I think we’re all too busy right now to text each other, with a game every three days,” he explained.
Saturday’s thrashing of Leipzig once again demonstrated that the perennial German champions are a cut above their domestic rivals, and Kane said Bayern were relishing the chance to take on Mikel Arteta’s side.
Still hurting from last year’s painful penalty shootout loss to Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal have started strongly, winning 10 of their 11 games in all competitions.
“It’s a big game, and we’re playing against one of the best teams in Europe; you have to always enjoy these occasions,” Kane said.
“We’re testing ourselves against one of the best; we’re here at home. The energy, the fans—it’s going to be a special night.”
