Arsenal’s Champions League knockout campaign commences on Wednesday night, as Mikel Arteta’s side travel to Germany to face Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16.
The Gunners were handed a favourable draw, pitted against the side sat sixth in the Bundesliga, with a tie against Bodo/Glimt or Sporting awaiting in the quarter-finals. Opta’s supercomputer estimates Arsenal’s chances of winning the entire competition are currently at 26.7%, making them overwhelming favourites, and thus, the pressure is on Arteta and his team to deliver.
Having rotated heavily away at Mansfield on Saturday afternoon, the North London outfit should be fresh for their visit to Western Germany. As for Arsenal’s history with Leverkusen, this will be just the third ever meeting between the two sides, with the last clash coming back in 2002.
| Date | Result | Competition |
| 27/02/2002 | Arsenal 4-1 Bayer Leverkusen | Champions League |
| 19/02/2002 | Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Arsenal | Champions League |
Arsenal team news vs Bayer Leverkusen, William Saliba injury update
Arteta’s secondary mission at Mansfield, after progressing into the next round, would’ve been to come through the game unscathed on the injury front. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, his team wasn’t able to do this.
Leandro Trossard pulled up with a knock in the first half and was forced to come off the pitch. Although there have been suggestions that the setback isn’t serious, the Belgian’s availability for the trip to the Rhineland hasn’t yet been confirmed.
Meanwhile, Riccardo Calafiori also had to be withdrawn in Nottinghamshire. The Italian seemingly tweaked his hamstring and is also a doubt for Wednesday’s Champions League clash.
Elsewhere, there have been murmurs that William Saliba will make his return to the Arsenal squad for this game. The Frenchman missed the trip to Brighton last week and was left at home for the excursion to the East Midlands on the weekend, but is understood to be in contention to feature at the BayArena, according to Standard Sport.
Ben White is likely to miss out as he fights his way back from an unspecified issue, while Martin Odegaard is once again being assessed ahead of the encounter with Leverkusen. Mikel Merino is now the only long-term absentee in the Arsenal roster.
Predicted Arsenal XI vs Bayer Leverkusen
Several key players were given the weekend off by Arteta, and thus, the divisive head coach is likely to revert to what seems to be his favoured starting eleven at the present moment.
David Raya will come back in for Kepa Arrizabalaga, while Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Magalhaes are guaranteed starters in the Gunners’ back four. If Saliba is indeed passed fit, he’ll partner the latter at the heart of the defence, with Cristhian Mosquera waiting in standby if needed. Piero Hincapie will almost certainly complete the backline and start against his parent club.
In midfield, Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice will return to the team after being rested for the Mansfield encounter. The pair have looked fatigued in recent matches, but a weekend away from the action should’ve done them the world of good. With Odegaard likely out, Eberechi Eze will retain his spot ahead of the double pivot.
In the forward line, Viktor Gyokeres and Bukayo Saka will come back in after being rested on Saturday. Off the left, if Trossard isn’t fit, Gabriel Martinelli becomes the likely option. That said, Arteta may be tempted by the prospect of using the red-hot Noni Madueke on this side.
Predicted Arsenal XI vs Leverkusen: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice, Eze; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal Prediction
Opta’s odds have Arsenal as 86% favourites for this tie, although it may not be won in the first leg. The Gunners are leggy at the moment, and a trip to the continent isn’t exactly what they need in the midst of this gruelling schedule.
The UEFA Champions League round of 16 kicks off this week, with the eight first-leg matches taking place over Tuesday and Wednesday, before the teams meet again in the second leg next week.
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) March 9, 2026
The Opta supercomputer has been hard at work, assigning win probabilities to every match… pic.twitter.com/HimIk6IHlF
That said, looking at Leverkusen’s form, it’s hard to envisage anything but an away win. Kasper Hjulmand’s outfit have won just one of their last five matches in all competitions – a 1-0 win away at Hamburg. To add insult to injury for die Werkself, they host Bayern Munich in between the two legs and will need to have one eye on that pivotal domestic clash.
Leverkusen’s underlying numbers indicate that they are an effective defensive team, but lack attacking threat. Thus, it’s not likely to be a thriller at the BayArena, although Arsenal should be able to nullify their opponents.
Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen 0-2 Arsenal
