The reigning Premier League and Bundesliga champions will go head-to-head when Bayern Munich host Arsenal within the Champions League.
Arsenal reached the ultimate of this competitors final season earlier than shedding to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties, whereas Bayern Munich have been knocked out by the Ligue 1 facet within the semi-finals.
We’ve merged one of the best gamers from each side to create a mixed XI. Be aware: any gamers who’re unavailable for this recreation have nonetheless been included.
GK: David Raya
Whereas Manuel Neuer will go down as one of many biggest goalkeepers of all time, he celebrated his fortieth birthday earlier this 12 months and is not working on the peak of his powers.
Bayern Munich recognized Raya as a long-term alternative for the Germany worldwide again in the summertime of 2023, however Arsenal gained the race for his signature.
He’s since gained three consecutive Premier League Golden Glove awards and was not too long ago named within the Champions League Group of the Season, having saved 9 clear sheets in 14 appearances within the competitors in 2025-26.
“I feel he’s nonetheless underestimated on the earth of soccer, however for me, the final two seasons, [Raya is] the greatest keeper on the earth,” Kai Havertz mentioned.
RB: Jurrien Timber
A midfielder by commerce, Konrad Laimer has confirmed himself to be a stable, if unspectacular, right-back for Bayern Munich.
However the Austria worldwide doesn’t get on this group forward of Timber, who is among the greatest one-on-one defenders in world soccer.
He additionally offers extra of an attacking menace than his Bayern Munich counterpart and scored the opening aim when these two sides met on the Emirates final season.
CB: William Saliba
Saliba has spent the previous couple of months recovering from a again damage that was aggravated throughout the World Cup and is but to play for Arsenal this season.
However when absolutely match, the 25-year-old would undoubtedly stroll into any present mixed XI.
He has gone from power to power since coming back from a mortgage spell at Marseille in the summertime of 2022, and the Gunners shall be counting down the times till he’s again on the pitch.
CB: Gabriel
Saliba can be greatest positioned to choose the second centre-back for this group, having performed alongside Gabriel at membership stage and Dayot Upamecano at worldwide stage.
Each centre-back partnerships are formidable, however Gabriel comes out on high right here because the Arsenal pair complement each other completely. And each are among the many greatest defenders in world soccer.
The Brazil worldwide is famend for his full-blooded model of defending and a willingness to place his physique on the road, whereas additionally proving a aim menace within the opposition field.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori
Even with Bayern Munich signing Nathaniel Brown for €55million in the summertime, Arsenal nonetheless lay declare to the left-back spot on this XI.
Calafiori made a seamless transition from centre-back to left-back following his transfer to Arsenal in the summertime of 2024 and is broadly thought of to be top-of-the-line on the earth in his place.
The Italy worldwide got here off the bench of their 3-1 win over Bayern Munich final season and registered an help together with his very first contact.
CM: Joshua Kimmich
Amazingly, it has taken us six positions to lastly get a Bayern Munich participant right into a mixed XI.
Kimmich would function because the deep-lying midfielder on this group, and he edged out the likes of Martin Zubimendi and Bruno Guimaraes because of his huge expertise on the high stage.
The 31-year-old is now in his twelfth season at Bayern and has performed an integral position of their success, profitable 10 Bundesliga titles, 4 DFB-Pokal titles, a Champions League, UEFA Tremendous Cup and FIFA Membership World Cup.
CM: Declan Rice
Rice reportedly spoke with then-Bayern Munich supervisor Thomas Tuchel in the summertime of 2023, however the Bundesliga facet weren’t prepared to pay West Ham United’s asking worth.
Arsenal stepped in and paid a club-record £105million charge, and whereas that originally raised a couple of eyebrows, no person is arguing about his valuation anymore.
The England worldwide has change into Arsenal’s driving pressure in the midst of the park, together with his relentless operating, tireless tackling and pinpoint set items.
He was named within the Champions League Group of the Season in 2025 and 2026, whereas additionally choosing up the Arsenal Participant of the Yr award in each campaigns.
RW: Bukayo Saka
The best-wing was one of the crucial hotly contested spots on this mixed XI, with Saka and Michael Olise each vying for it.
Olise is presently the higher participant if we put all biases to at least one facet, however his versatility permits us to get inventive and match each of them into the identical group.
Saka struggled with damage issues and noticed his output dip throughout a troublesome 2025-26 season, though a hat-trick within the World Cup third-place play-off towards France was a reminder of his expertise.
The 25-year-old winger has additionally made a robust begin to the 2026-27 marketing campaign, and that is sufficient to warrant his place on this facet.
CAM: Michael Olise
The aforementioned Olise primarily performs on the fitting wing for Bayern Munich, however has additionally operated as a No.10 at each membership and worldwide stage.
He takes that position in our mixed XI, as this era’s distinguished Joga Bonito footballer, forcing each Martin Odegaard and Jamal Musiala to accept a spot on the bench.
The France worldwide put himself in competition for the upcoming Ballon d’Or award by registering 22 targets and 31 assists in 53 appearances for Bayern final season.
However Vincent Kompany’s facet must play with out him towards Arsenal after he was proven two yellow playing cards of their final Champions League recreation.
LW: Luis Diaz
If Arsenal had secured their high goal in the summertime switch window, Vinicius Junior can be the left-winger on this group.
However the Brazil worldwide determined to stay at Actual Madrid and Diaz is healthier than Christos Tzolis, who was signed from Membership Brugge and is about to overlook this recreation with a hamstring damage.
Bayern’s No.14 loved a superb debut season on the Allianz Enviornment in 2025-26, scoring 26 targets and organising one other 23.
The Colombia worldwide additionally registered two targets and three assists in six appearances towards Arsenal throughout his time at Liverpool.
ST: Harry Kane
There have been a couple of troublesome choices to make on this mixed XI, however we saved the simplest till final.
Kane stays one of the best and most well-rounded striker on the earth, and will quickly change into the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001.
He scored 61 targets in 51 appearances in all competitions for Bayern final season. For context, 61 membership targets in the past for Kai Havertz was an opener for Chelsea towards Liverpool in August 2021.
The 33-year-old has additionally discovered the again of the online 15 instances in his final 22 appearances towards Arsenal and can again himself so as to add to that tally tonight.
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TRY A QUIZ: Are you able to title the Arsenal XI that misplaced 5-1 to Bayern Munich in 2017?
