- Arsenal will play against Bayer Leverkusen tonight in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League at the BayArena.
- The Gunners are yet to lose or draw a game in the Champions League this season, with their opponents exiting the knockout stages
- Arsenal suffered three injuries, but both clubs will still be without key players for the first of two games in six days
Arsenal are looking to underline their status as champions of the Champions League this season when they take on Germany in the round of 16.
Source: Getty Images
The Gunners, who are chasing a first title, will be visitors to the Bay Arena on Wednesday evening to face Bayer Leverkusen in the first stream.
Summary about the match between Bayer Leverkusen and Arsenal
Mikel Arteta’s men reached the knockout stage after leading the league phase campaign without a blemish where they won all the games.
Leverkusen, meanwhile, had to work on their last 16 spot after finishing 16th in the league, forcing them into the knockout stages. They beat Olympiacos 2-0 over two legs to set up a meeting with Arsenal.
The two teams last met in 2002 in a competitive game, where the first leg ended in a 1-1 draw before Arsenal emerged victorious 4-1 at Highbury Stadium. They most recently met in 2024 for a friendly game, which Arsenal also won 4-1.
While Arsenal lead the Premier League, Leverkusen have struggled to reach the astronomical heights they reached under Xabi Alonso.
Now under former Danish manager Kasper Hjulmand, Leverkusen are sixth in the Bundesliga with 44 points, 22 behind the runaway leaders. Bayern Munich. They have also won just once in their last five matches.
8 players who will miss the match of Bayer Leverkusen against Arsenal
Both Hjulmand and Arteta will be missing key players for the match, which will be an evening kick-off.
The injury list is a little longer for the hosts, led by five-time Champions League winner Lucas Vazquez, who has missed the last three games with a foot injury.
Other absentees include Mark Flekken (knee), Loic Bade (hamstring), Arthur (hamstring), Ben Seghir (ankle), and Nathan Tella (foot). Werkself, however, will welcome back Patrick Shick for the competition.
“Arsenal is probably the best team in Europe at the moment. It is one of the most difficult challenges, but we are looking forward to it! We want to enjoy big games like this with our fans,” said Hjulmand.
Source: Twitter
For the guests, Mikel Merino and captain Martin Odegaard have been confirmed absent. The Gunners received a triple boost when William Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori and Leandro Trossard returned to training on Tuesday and will face late fitness tests.
“Those two are possibilities, and we will see tomorrow how we use them. The Champions League is about the day, and within that day there is time, and you have to be better than the opponent,” said Arteta via Arsenal’s website.
Opta’s supercomputer predicts Round of 16 matches
Opta’s supercomputer has predicted all the Champions League Round of 16 matches.
PSG will face Chelsea while Real Madrid will face Manchester City once again.
Atletico Madrid will play against Tottenham who are in danger of relegation.
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