Bayern Munich, aiming for the Champions League title, will face a big challenge when they host Arsenal on Wednesday. They will play without their key winger Michael Olise.
Olise, who grew up in London and started with Arsenal's youth team, is out due to suspension. He received two yellow cards in just a minute during Bayern's recent 3-3 draw with Viking.
After he picked up the first yellow for a foul, Olise got frustrated. He reacted to some taunts from Viking's captain Zlatko Tripic by throwing the ball at him, leading to his first-ever red card.
The former Crystal Palace player has been in fantastic form this season. He has scored nine goals and provided five assists in just 10 matches.
Bayern is also dealing with other issues. Jamal Musiala is out due to injury and illness. Serge Gnabry and Lennart Karl have not played well recently. So, Olise and Harry Kane have been carrying the team's attack this season.
Kane, who is the England captain, has also had a great season with nine goals and six assists in 10 games. Last week, when Bayern was down 2-0 at Viking, Kane led the comeback by scoring twice and assisting another goal.
After Bayern's impressive 6-1 win over RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Saturday, Kane acknowledged that Olise's absence will be felt. But he urged his teammates 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."
One bright spot from Saturday's match was Luis Diaz's performance. The 29-year-old had struggled earlier this season but shone by scoring three goals and assisting another, marking one of his best games since joining Bayern from Liverpool in 2025.
Kane, who moved to Bayern from Tottenham in 2023, has faced Arsenal multiple times since joining. Last season, Bayern played against Arsenal in two quarter-final legs, winning by just one goal. They also lost 3-1 to Arsenal in the league phase of last year's competition.
With many games coming up, Kane hasn't had time to chat with his old rivals from Arsenal. "I spoke to them a bit in the international break previously 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 said.
Bayern's recent win over Leipzig showed they are still top of their game in Germany. Kane said the team is excited to face Arsenal, who are still smarting from last year's penalty defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsenal has had a strong start, winning 10 out of 11 matches in all competitions. Kane said, "It’s a big game and we’re playing against one of the best teams in Europe, you have to always enjoy these occasions."
"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."
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