Eze's early goal puts Arsenal ahead of Bayern

On Wednesday evening 21 October 2026, Eberechi Eze gave Arsenal an early advantage in the UEFA Champions League‑match against Bayern Munich. The goal came in the 25th minute, after which the home side received no response. Vincent Kompany's presence at Bayern remained uncertain due to a viral infection, and Joshua Kimmich missed the match after a death in his immediate family.

Eze's goal and match flow

Eze opened the scoring after a cross from Martin Ødegaard, who delivered the ball into the sixtieth meter from the goal. The ball was not returned by Kai Havertz, allowing Arsenal to secure the lead. Directly after the goal, a yellow card was shown to Havertz, which increased the tension on the field. After the narrowly won goal, Arsenal dominated the midfield and kept possession of the ball.

Substitutions and disciplinary actions

In the tenth minute, Bukayo Saka was replaced by Eze, a substitution that immediately showed his impact. Kai Havertz received a yellow card in the thirteenth minute for a foul on Josip Stanisic. Later, in the twenty‑first minute, the referee whistled a foul by Dayot Upamecano on Havertz, after which David Raya made a crucial save. The referee later showed another yellow card to Havertz for a second foul.

Other actions and VAR‑decisions

Bruno Guimarães tried on target in the thirtieth minute, but missed. A corner kick from Ødegaard reached the second post, after which the VAR check confirmed that Eze's goal stood. Riccardo Calafiori and Serge Gnabry had chances, but their shots remained ineffective. The VAR decision lasted a few seconds, but confirmed the correct result.

Bayern must dig deep without Kompany in crucial duel against Freiburg

Kompany and Kimmich miss due to illness and death

Joshua Kimmich was not in the squad, because he could not play due to a death in his immediate family. The German media speculated whether Vincent Kompany, who had a viral infection, would still appear on the bench. According to, he could enter the dug‑out, but definitive confirmation was lacking at the time of the match. Kompany would have led an activation training that morning, despite his illness.

Program overview and broader sport context

The live‑overview of the evening combined Football, Tennis, Formula 1, Basketball and Cyclo‑cross, with a separate Program‑section for the Jupiler Pro League, the Challenger Pro League, the Champions League, the Europa League and the Conference League. More sports fans could follow the action in Munich via the LIVE‑stream, with the match clearly under the UEFA umbrella. In addition to football, Tennis and Formula 1 were broadcast live, giving the evening a broad sports offering.

Urbig's late save shields Bayern as health worries loom over Kompany

Outlook after the first half

With Arsenal still leading and Bayern yet to score, the second half remains crucial. The coming hours will reveal whether Kompany will ultimately be on the side of the home team and how Bayern responds to the missed advantage. Bukayo Saka had several dangerous dribbles in the first ten minutes, but was then replaced by Eze.