Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette will start this afternoon’s International Champions Cup clash with Bayern Munich.
Arsenal have enjoyed a bright pre-season, but their biggest challenge is to come today at the Shanghai Stadium. Here’s the squad to face Bayern Munich:
Our team to play @FCBayern: Cech, Bielik, Mertesacker, Monreal, Maitland-Niles, Coquelin, Xhaka, Kolasinac, Ozil, Welbeck, Lacazette
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) July 19, 2017
Maitland-Niles is expected to fill in at right wing back, while Lacazette could get his first run out as a centre forward in pre-season.
Ahead of the meeting, Arsenal boast a 100% record in pre-season, beating Sydney FC 2-0 and Western Sydney Wanderers 3-1 at the ANZ Stadium this summer.
Bayern Munich are no slouches, however. Carlo Ancelotti’s Bundesliga-winning side enjoyed a 9-1 win over Erlangen-Bruck on July 9 and boast a one-sided head-to-head record in competitive meetings with Arsenal.
The Germans have beaten the Gunners 5-1 in each of their last three Champions League meetings, losing just once in their previous half a dozen encounters.
Arsenal’s last competitive win over Bayern came in 2015, courtesy of goals from Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil – two players who could help exact revenge today at the Shanghai Stadium.