The major flaw in Arsenal’s Champions League plan and how Bayern Munich can expose it

Arsenal travel to the Allianz Arena on Wednesday to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League with two radically different approaches on display. Mikel Arteta has built a solid, pragmatic and reliable team at the back, while Vincent Kompany has turned the German side into an attacking machine that refuses to speculate. The meeting between two of Pep Guardiola's former pupils will help define which route leads closest to the biggest prize in European club football.

• Arsenal arrive after beating Nottingham Forest with a single shot on target, while Bayern produced 17 in their win over RB Leipzig.
• Bayern have 36 goals this season and last year scored 122 in the Bundesliga, a record in Europe's top five leagues since 1948.
• Michael Olise is suspended after his red card against Viking and will miss the game against the London side.
• Arsenal kept consecutive clean sheets at the start of this Champions League and conceded only seven goals in 15 matches last season.
• Manuel Neuer is a doubt and Jonas Urbig could start in goal for Bayern.

Two Guardiola lieutenants with contrasting lessons

Arteta and Kompany shared a dressing room at Manchester City as trusted figures for Guardiola, but they drew very different conclusions. The Spanish coach has made order and control his trademark, while the Belgian has embraced a vertical, ambitious style full of attacking runners. That difference helps explain why Bayern feel comfortable in open games and Arsenal prefer to manage them with patience.

What the recent numbers say about Arsenal and Bayern

Recent data highlights the gap between the two projects. Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest with a single shot on target and have scored six goals in their last four matches. Bayern, meanwhile, fired 17 efforts against RB Leipzig, the team that finished third in the Bundesliga last season, and scored six times in their most recent outing. Momentum in front of goal clearly favours the Germans.

The contrast also appears at the other end. Arteta's side were the least scored against in Europe last season and began this campaign with back-to-back clean sheets. Bayern, by contrast, conceded three goals against newly promoted Viking last week. London's defensive strength collides with Bayern's occasional fragility.

Harry Kane and Bayern's formidable firepower

Bayern's attacking power is built on remarkable numbers. Last year they scored 122 Bundesliga goals, a figure only surpassed in Europe's top five leagues by the 1947-48 Torino side. Harry Kane found the net 61 times across all competitions, while Michael Olise contributed 22 goals and 28 assists. Although Olise is suspended, the German attacking potential remains among the most feared on the continent.

How Arsenal reach the Allianz Arena test

The 3-1 win over Bayern at the Emirates last November, with eight shots on target and an xG of 2.72, showed that Arsenal can create and score against elite opposition. However, the squad has lost firepower since the last Champions League final. The club tried to bring in game-changers such as Vinicius Junior, Julian Alvarez and Morgan Rogers during the summer, but none of those moves materialised.

The only attacking addition, Christos Tzolis, is currently injured. More forwards left than arrived, and the left wing has become the position that least resembles that of European champions. Gabriel Martinelli, who scored against Bayern last season, is gone, and the stand-ins in that role have had to shoulder responsibility. Even so, substitutes have scored in Arsenal's last three matches, a sign that the depth is responding.

Kompany's defensive concerns: Neuer and a virus in the camp

Bayern's problems are concentrated at the back and in the treatment room. Kompany was unable to lead Tuesday's training session or attend the pre-match press conference because of a virus. Manuel Neuer is carrying a knock and his involvement is not guaranteed, meaning Jonas Urbig could take over in goal. Bayern added Ismael Saibari, a potential replacement for Olise, and Nathaniel Brown this summer, but Arsenal have a deeper squad overall.

Two blueprints for conquering Europe go head to head

The match pits two routes to the same destination against each other: Arsenal's clean sheets, consistency and quality options versus a goalscoring power that seeks to decide games through sheer volume. It would be unfair to reduce everything to attack against defence, since both coaches are chasing a balance built on their strengths. Still, the Allianz Arena will host a 90-minute examination of which model is better equipped to win the Champions League.