Jonathan Tah confident Bayern Munich can overcome Arsenal in Champions League

Bayern Munich defender Jonathan Tah believes his side can beat Arsenal in Wednesday’s Champions League meeting at Allianz Arena, despite expecting a demanding contest against Mikel Arteta’s team.

Tah praised Arsenal’s progress in recent seasons, saying the club had developed a clear identity and a strong squad under their manager. Bayern faced Arsenal last year and the Germany international knows how difficult they can be to play against.

“Arsenal have been doing great the last years, the way they build this team and this identity,” Tah told Times Sport.

“We faced them last year and felt how difficult it was to play against them.”

The match will also see Tah come up against Kai Havertz, his close friend and former Bayer Leverkusen team-mate. The pair have known each other for 10 years, and Tah said he was looking forward to facing the Arsenal forward.

Tah also believes Havertz remains underappreciated despite his qualities and contribution.

“Kai is my good friend since ten years. Great character, amazing player, a player that is still underestimated to be fair,” he said.

“I don’t think he gets the appreciation he deserves. We already talked about the game. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Tah’s personal connection with Havertz will add an extra element to the fixture, but the defender is confident Bayern have the qualities needed to compete with Arsenal.

He credited Bayern coach Vincent Kompany with playing an important role in his development since taking charge, saying the former Belgium international had helped him improve both as a player and as a person.

“He has improved me a lot,” Tah said.

“He’s someone who really sees the whole picture. Looks beyond the game, beyond the pitch. He’s really focused on developing the personality of a player.”

Tah said Kompany had encouraged him to take on greater leadership responsibility, inspired by the qualities the coach showed during his own playing career.

“He wants me to be a leader like he was. He’s so young, you watch how he handles things as a coach and sometimes feel he’s doing the same thing he would as a player,” Tah explained.

Bayern will need to match Arsenal’s intensity and quality, but Tah said his team’s approach gives them belief that they can defeat any opponent when they perform at their best.

“We’re convinced that with this identity, if we bring it, we can win every game,” he said.