Arsene Wenger makes Arsenal vs Bayern Munich prediction and admits 'a bit of both'

Arsene Wenger has made a bold prediction ahead of Arsenal's midweek Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, stating he believes the German side "won't be 100 per cent confident". Arsenal drew against Bayern at the Emirates last week, making for a tantalisingly balanced return leg in Munich.

The teams' respective domestic leagues have presented them both with setbacks since their last meeting. In Germany, Bayern's iron grip on the Bundesliga title was finally unseated by Bayer Leverkusen - shattering a dominance that lasted since Borussia Dortmund's 2011/12 victory.

Meanwhile, in England, Aston Villa delivered a crushing blow to Arsenal's title aspirations with a surprise 2-0 victory. This leaves the Gunners trailing two points behind leaders Manchester City with only six games remaining.

Nevertheless, despite this setback, Wenger remains optimistic about Arsenal's prospects against Bayern in Munich. Offering his analysis, the Frenchman suggested the game is evenly poised and noted Bayern's recent struggles at home.

Speaking to beIN SPORTS, Wenger predicted: "Arsenal against Bayern is a 50-50 game," and revealed "Bayern have recently been vulnerable at home in the Bundesliga, they lost to Dortmund in a very important game so they will not be 100% confident. I still think Arsenal might just glide through against Bayern."

When asked whether his bold prediction was based on his head or his heart, the three-time Premier League winner confessed: "A bit of both, a combination."

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Ahead of the second leg, two key players for Arsenal, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, were both doubtful due to injuries sustained in Sunday's loss against Villa. However, Mikel Arteta has provided a hopeful update on their fitness.

"Hopefully [they can play]," the Spaniard said during his pre-match press conference. "We've had less than 48 hours to recover from the game and we've had very little training, so we will assess them tomorrow and see how they are."

Arteta went on to commend his team for putting themselves in a position where reaching the semi-final is a real possibility. "We have earned it," he added.

"We have earned it over ten months and everything we did last season, to start our journey in the Champions League after so many years. Tomorrow we have an incredible opportunity to make it happen."