Arsenal’s quadruple dream is still alive after beating Bayer Leverkusen
Arsenal Football Newsletter
Arsenal are safely through to the Champions League quarter-finals after beating Bayer Leverkusen in the last-16.
Arsenal required an 89th minute Kai Havertz penalty in Germany to avoid a first leg defeat but stunning strikes from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice in the second leg secured a 3-1 aggregate win and a rather comfortable progression.
Under the new format, the Gunners’ potential route to this season’s Champions League final has already been mapped out.
Arsenal will face Sporting CP in the quarter-final, meaning a return to familiar surroundings for Viktor Gyokeres after his former club staged a sensational comeback against Bodo/Glimt.
Trailing 3-0 from the first leg, the Portuguese side levelled the aggregate score with 12 minutes of normal time remaining before scoring twice in extra-time to set up a meeting with the Gunners at the beginning of April.
Sporting, though, will be without captain Morten Hjulmand for the first leg in Lisbon on either April 7/8 because of suspension.
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As a result of finishing top in the league phase, Arsenal will have the advantage of playing the second leg of their quarter-final tie at the Emirates Stadium.
In fact, the Gunners will have home advantage throughout the knockout phase thanks to a new rule implemented by UEFA at the start of the campaign.
Things then become very tricky in a potential semi-final Arsenal could come up against Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in what would be a major test of their European credentials.
Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool are among those on the other side of the draw, with Bayern, arguably, currently the strongest of those sides.
That could leave Arsenal taking on the six-time winners - with the likes of Harry Kane, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise in their ranks - in the 2026 Champions League final.
Arsenal’s potential path to Champions League final:
Quarter-finals: Sporting CP
Semi-finals: Barcelona
Final: Bayern Munich