The battle on the pitch between the European giants and the English underachievers could turn out to be about two players.
In between 2006 and 2009, Bastian Schweinsteiger came under a fair bit of criticism. The wing just did not seem to be the appropriate place for him. Louis Van Gaal in 2009 came up with an idea that not only benefited Bayern but also benefited the German national side. He decided to move the German international into defensive midfield, next to the then captain Mark Van Bommel.

In that season, a player from Arsenal was making huge strides. He was, rather surprisingly, not a Frenchman. Jack Wilshere, on loan to Bolton Wanderers, was making a name for himself. Arsene Wenger knew the worth of this Englishman; he did not allow Bolton to sign Wilshere for one further season and brought him back to Arsenal.

Wilshere, as a precautionary measure, did not start against Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup in the weekend. Arsenal suffered as a result; they created little of note in the final third. Their enforcer was not there. Wilshere brings heart to an Arsenal team which has been said to lack it. The young midfielder is not only passionate; he is also a brilliant player.

He dominated the midfield expertly against Barcelona in 2010-11 at the Emirates. Wilshere does the little things well; he goes in for tackles and hassles the opponent endlessly. He has a great eye for a pass. He can control the pace of a game. He is definitely mature beyond his years.

He will be opposed by another midfield enforcer who has seen it all in Bastian Schweinsteiger tomorrow. Schweini, as he is lovingly called, is the heart and soul of a Bayern side which has been on the cusp of greatness twice in the past three seasons but has fallen short each time. Schweinsteiger is the emotional leader of a young but mature Bayern side.

Again, he does the little things well, He fills the gaps in defence and he protects the back four. His passing accuracy is brilliant. He plays mind blowing passes at times in matches. He hits fantastic free kicks. He comes forward whenever Bayern needs another creative enforcer or when Toni Kroos has an off day.

Schweinsteiger has a strange affect on Bayern. Without him, Bayern cannot function well. Even if Basti is not fully fit, he has to play. Schweinsteiger did not feature against BATE Borisov from the start in the group stages. Bayern conceded three and never looked like winning.

Wilshere and Schweinsteiger are the souls of their sides. They are the heartbeats. Wilshere is Arsenal’s hope. Schweinsteiger is Bayern’s leader. The two are dearly loved by their respective clubs’ fans. It was a penalty miss from Schweinsteiger which is pushing Bayern to great heights this season.

Schweinsteiger has suffered plenty of heartbreaks in all tournaments. Wilshere, who has lost a Carling Cup final, is yet to reach the heights that Schweinsteiger has. Bastian, on the cusp of greatness so many times, is yet to become a great.

Tomorrow, in a battle between Bayern and Arsenal, one of Wilshere or Schweinsteiger will take center stage. Fans of either side will be hoping that it is their man’s heart which conquers the other team.