Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker says tonight's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich is a special one for him.

Having spent the majority of his career in the Bundesliga, Mertesacker has plenty of experience of facing Bayern and he is eagerly anticipating Tuesday night's match.

"It's always special to face a German team," he said. "[Me and Lukas Podolski] are looking forward to it because Bayern Munich are a great team and are so consistent this year. It's a special game for German players to play against a team from their home country.

"I know their players quite well, so maybe in some situations you can see what your opponent is going to do. Sometimes it can help. I spent a lot of games together with a few players in the national team. It's good to see them again but that's it."