Advertisement
Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal Champions League preview, key stats and team news
11th March, 2026 11:09 AM
The BayArena, home of Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, is set to come alive as the German club faces Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
The 8:45 pm kickoff pits Arsenal as clear favourites after Mikel Arteta’s side emerged as the top team in the league phase with an unblemished record.
Leverkusen, meanwhile, scraped through via the playoffs. The head-to-head records point to an intriguing matchup:
- Bayer Leverkusen have progressed from four of their five major European knockout ties against English clubs, failing only against Liverpool in the 2004-05 UEFA Champions League.
- Arsenal’s only previous European meetings with Bayer Leverkusen came in the 2001-02 second group stage, where they drew 1-1 away and won 4-1 at Highbury.
Despite failing to advance in all five of their UEFA Champions League knockout ties against German teams (all against Bayern Munich), Arsenal will look to banish that record against a new opponent in Bayer Leverkusen.
The English side crashed out in the last 16 in 2004-05, 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2016-17, plus the 2023-24 quarter-final.
Kasper Hjumland’s team, however, can draw inspiration from their recent defensive form against English sides.
Currently sixth in the Bundesliga table, Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last three UEFA Champions League games (W2 D1), keeping a clean sheet in all three. They have never previously recorded four consecutive shutouts in the competition.
Team News:
Two Arsenal players –Piero Hincapié and Kai Havertz—will line up against their former club. Hincapié has managed a decent shift deputising for William Saliba, who has been out injured but has since resumed full fitness and is expected to line up as a starter (or substitute) in the clash.
Saliba adds to Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori, both of whom limped off in the FA Cup win over Mansfield but trained on Tuesday and are available.
Injury concerns remain for the hosts, whose long list of absentees includes Mark Flekken (knee), Loïc Badé (hamstring), Arthur (ligament), Lucas Vázquez (calf), Eliesse Ben Seghir (calf/ankle), and Nathan Tella (foot).
On a positive note, top scorer Patrik Schick could feature after passing a late fitness test that had put him on the sidelines.
