Bayern host Arsenal in Champions League clash as Kompany returns

The teams walked out to a packed Allianz Arena on Wednesday night, and yeah, Bayern came out in their all-red kit while Arsenal dusted off that famous blue banana design from the early 90s. A proper throwback moment.

Bayern boss Vincent Kompany made it to the touchline after shaking off a virus that nearly sidelined him. More interestingly, Jurgen Klopp showed up in the stands — the Germany boss grinning away and catching up with Rafael Benitez, another former Liverpool manager. The vibe was relaxed, at least before the whistle.

Arsenal came into this one off a pretty dull performance against Forest, so expectations were mixed. But Mikel Arteta sounded ready. "We're gonna have to play, I expect, three or four different games at different stages," he told TNT Sports before kickoff. "We need everybody ready because we need to change and adapt." He talked about testing themselves on the big stage, playing with courage and aggression, being decisive. Standard pre-match stuff, but he sounded like he meant it.

The Bayern attack was supposed to come hard and fast, which in theory should give Arsenal space to do their thing. Whether they'd actually use it remained to be seen — that was the real question hanging over this one.

Elsewhere in the Champions League that night, Como absolutely hammered Manchester United 4-1 at home, which was... well, it was something. Not great for United's evening.