Bayern Munich-Arsenal Champions League matchup pits attack vs. defense

ROME (AP) — Six-time winner Bayern Munich plays last season’s runner-up Arsenal and Real Madrid warms up for this weekend’s clasico by facing Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Also, Como hosts struggling Manchester United in its tiny 10,000-seat Giuseppe Sinigaglia stadium and Italian champion Inter Milan meets Shakhtar Donetsk at the San Siro still seeking its first points in this year’s competition.

The match in Munich pits one of Europe’s most devastating attacking units against the most well-organized defense on the continent.

Bayern, which has four points from a possible six in the Champions League so far, is coming off a 6-1 win over Leipzig in the Bundesliga that makes it 36 goals in 10 games this season.

Arsenal has yet to concede a goal after back-to-back wins in Europe and is tied for the best defensive record in the Premier League with five goals conceded in seven games of its title defense.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany has a viral infection and is doubtful to attend the game. Midfielder Joshua Kimmich has been ruled out for personal reasons following a death in his family, Bayern said Wednesday.

José Mourinho’s Real Madrid is involved in an ongoing battle with the Spanish league over alleged refereeing controversies and will want a more straightforward match after needing three goals in the final 10 minutes to beat Roma last week.

Madrid visits Spanish league leader Barcelona on Sunday.

Also Wednesday, it's: Lille vs. Galatasaray; Real Betis vs. Feyenoord; Club Brugge vs. Lens; Aston Villa vs. Viking; and Sporting Lisbon vs. LASK.

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Real Madrid's head coach Jose Mourinho sits on the bench before the La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Sevilla in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya attends a press conference in Munich, Tuesday Oct. 20, 2026, a day ahead of the Champions League soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and FC Arsenal on Wednesday. (Angelika Warmuth/dpa via AP)

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta attends a press conference in Munich, Tuesday Oct. 20, 2026, a day ahead of the Champions League soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and FC Arsenal on Wednesday. (Angelika Warmuth/dpa via AP)

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres, right, attend a training session in London Colney, England, Tuesday Oct. 20, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Bayern Munich's Harry Kane attends a training session ahead of the Champions League, opening phase soccer match against Arsenal, in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (Angelika Warmuth/dpa via AP)

Russia has released a retired American teacher who had been imprisoned on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said Wednesday at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg.

The deal comes at a time when President Donald Trump has taken actions meant to benefit Moscow.

Stephen Hubbard, of Michigan, was sentenced after a closed trial in 2024 to nearly seven years in prison. Prosecutors said he had signed a contract with the Ukrainian military after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, and that he fought alongside them until being captured two months later.

The U.S. government under the Biden administration designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained.

Putin told Witkoff Wednesday that Hubbard was at the St. Petersburg airport, Pulkovo, after the release.

Witkoff has tried without success to steer Russia and Ukraine toward a settlement to end a war that will hit the five-year mark in February. Trump foreshadowed a release earlier in the week, telling reporters at the White House: “I’ve been talking to President Putin about Mr. Hubbard. I’ve been talking to him at length. I’ve asked him to release him. Let’s see what happens.”

Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, right, greets U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff at the international airport outside St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. (TASS Photo via AP)