Arsenal vs Leverkusen: Preview and stats ahead of decisive Champions League clash
Everything is set for a decisive night as Arsenal take on Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 clash in London on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
With the tie delicately balanced following a 1-1 draw in the first encounter, both sides head into the fixture knowing a place in the quarter-finals is on the line.
Open fixture
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The opening leg saw Kai Havertz find the net against his former club from the penalty spot late on, ensuring the contest remains wide open. Arsenal will take confidence from their impressive home record this season, having suffered just one defeat on their own turf while winning all four of their league phase matches there and scoring freely.
The last time they suffered a defeat at home was against the resurging Manchester United side.
Historically, they have also been strong at home in Europe, losing just once in their last 22 UEFA matches at their stadium. Leverkusen, however, are unlikely to make things easy. The German side showed resilience in the first leg. It will draw belief from their recent away victory over Olympiacos, which marked their first away win in a Champions League knockout tie across two legs.
Their ability to threaten from set pieces, highlighted by Robert Andrich’s goal in the first meeting, underlines their potential to cause problems again.
Both teams are expected to field strong line-ups, with Arsenal relying on a mix of defensive solidity and attacking flair. At the same time, Leverkusen aim to remain organised and dangerous on the break.
Recent form suggests Arsenal may have the edge, coming into the match on a strong run of results, while Leverkusen have also been difficult to beat, remaining unbeaten in their last six outings across all competitions.
What managers said
Speaking ahead of the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta acknowledged the challenge posed by the German side, saying:
“Watching them play against Bayern [München] at the weekend, very similar [to last week]. Really well coached, clear structure. We know what we have to do in front of our crowd. Hopefully, we are going to do it.”
Kasper Hjulmand, Leverkusen coach: “We expect a very close game. In the first leg, we didn’t give them much of a chance. We’ll try to be just as dominant the second time around. We’re confident we can win here and advance.”
With both teams evenly matched and everything still to play for, the encounter promises to be a tightly contested battle as they fight for a coveted place in the next round.
