Arsenal FC travel to Germany to face Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday evening at the BayArena in the first leg of the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League.
Both sides are aiming to secure a positive result that will boost their chances of reaching the quarter-finals before the return leg next week at Emirates Stadium in London.
Arsenal advanced directly to the Round of 16 after an exceptional league phase campaign, becoming the first team in the competition’s history to win all eight of their matches in the league stage.
The English club scored 23 goals while conceding only four, underlining their dominance during that phase.
Managed by Mikel Arteta, Arsenal built significant momentum after defeating major European sides including Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Inter Milan.
Expectations are growing that the 2026 campaign could finally see Arsenal lift the Champions League trophy, particularly after the draw kept them away from European heavyweights such as Real Madrid, Liverpool FC, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City before the final.
On the other hand, Bayer Leverkusen, led by former Denmark national team coach Kasper Hjulmand, are looking to overcome inconsistent domestic results.
The German side booked their place in the Round of 16 by defeating Olympiacos FC 2–0 on aggregate in the playoff round.
Leverkusen head into the match after a mixed run of form, having secured just one victory in their last five games and recently drawing 3–3 with SC Freiburg in domestic league action.
Despite that, BayArena has proven to be a fortress for the German club.
Leverkusen remain unbeaten in their last six home matches and have conceded just one goal in 540 minutes of play on their own ground, offering them a potential edge ahead of what could be a decisive battle for a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.
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