The Gunners will be looking to secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League as they welcome Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen to the Emirates Stadium
Mikel Arteta will be looking to send Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League
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Champions League football returns to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night as Arsenal welcome Bayer Leverkusen for the decisive second leg of their last-16 tie.
The Gunners narrowly avoided a first-leg defeat at the BayArena last week, with Kai Havertz stepping up late to deny his former club a valuable win. Arsenal looked set to fall to Robert Andrich’s header from a corner, as Leverkusen’s disciplined defense kept Mikel Arteta’s attack quiet for nearly the entire match.
However, Arteta’s inspired substitutions turned the tide. Noni Madueke came on for the subdued Bukayo Saka and won a late penalty, which Havertz calmly converted against his old side. The German international kept his celebrations muted, but the traveling Arsenal fans erupted, with their team now well-placed to reach the quarter-finals for a third consecutive season, despite seeing their perfect Champions League record end.
Arsenal’s home form in Europe is formidable, with just one defeat in their last 22 UEFA matches at the Emirates—a semi-final loss to Paris Saint-Germain last year. That fortress mentality was on display again on Saturday, as late goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Max Dowman sealed a 2-0 Premier League win over Everton and opened up a commanding nine-point lead over Manchester City.
A similar nine-point gap separates first and second in the Bundesliga, where Bayer Leverkusen held Borussia Dortmund to a 1-1 draw at the weekend, aided by Dortmund finishing with nine men. Kasper Hjulmand’s side have developed a reputation for drawing games, with five of their last six matches across all competitions ending level. However, another draw at the Emirates would only help them if they can prevail on penalties, as they seek a rare away win.
Leverkusen have lost just once in their last 14 matches in all competitions, but a run of only four wins in their last 10 away games will be a concern. History is also against them: they are winless in their last three competitive meetings with Arsenal, and their only previous trip to the Emirates—a pre-season friendly in 2024—ended in a heavy 4-1 defeat under Xabi Alonso.
Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction
Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen Team News
Max Dowman’s record-breaking feat as the Premier League’s youngest-ever goalscorer stole the spotlight on Saturday, to the extent that Mikel Arteta wasn’t even asked for an update on Jurrien Timber, who was forced off with an injury in the first half against Everton.
Timber’s availability for the second leg remains uncertain, as do the statuses of Martin Odegaard (knee) and Leandro Trossard (knock). Mikel Merino, meanwhile, is definitely ruled out as he continues his recovery from a foot injury.
Kai Havertz, rewarded with a start at the weekend following his crucial goal against Leverkusen, was unable to find the net again. As a result, Viktor Gyokeres is expected to return to lead the line. Havertz could instead slot into the number 10 role—where Eberechi Eze has struggled for form recently—though Arteta may also consider deploying Bukayo Saka centrally, freeing up Noni Madueke to operate on his preferred right wing.
On the Leverkusen side, Kasper Hjulmand faces two fresh injury concerns after the Bayern Munich clash, with goalscorer Aleix Garcia (head) and Martin Terrier (ankle) both forced off. Should Garcia need to follow concussion protocols, he will almost certainly miss the second leg, while Hjulmand remains hopeful that Terrier—injured by a challenge that saw Nicolas Jackson sent off—can recover in time.
Leverkusen are still without Mark Flekken (knee), Loic Bade (hamstring), Arthur (ligament), Lucas Vazquez (calf), and Eliesse Ben Seghir (ankle). However, dynamic full-back Alejandro Grimaldo is available again after serving a domestic suspension.
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