Arsenal return to the Emirates Stadium tonight, looking to secure their place in the Champions League quarter-finals as they host Bayer Leverkusen in a finely poised second-leg encounter.
The Gunners arrive following a clinical 2–0 victory over Everton, a result that extended their unassailable lead at the top of the Premier League and moved their current unbeaten run to 13 matches.
In the first leg at the BayArena, Mikel Arteta’s side showed great resilience to recover from an early Robert Andrich header, with Kai Havertz converting a late penalty to ensure parity. Arsenal boast an exceptional home record in this competition under Arteta, winning 13 of their 16 matches at the Emirates, and they remain unbeaten in three competitive meetings with the German side.
Bayer Leverkusen travel to North London as “stalemate specialists,” having drawn five of their last six matches across all competitions. Kasper Hjulmand’s men recently shared the spoils in a bruising 1–1 draw with Bayern Munich, where they failed to capitalise on their opponents being reduced to nine men.
While Die Werkself have historically struggled in England—losing eight of their 11 away trips—they did secure a notable 2–0 win at Manchester City during the league phase. Having not reached a Champions League quarter-final since their run to the 2002 final, Leverkusen will need to break Arsenal’s defensive resolve to keep their European dream alive.
Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen – Match preview and team news
Date: Tuesday, 17 March 2026
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
Referee: Danny Makkelie
VAR: Dennis Higler
Last Meeting: Bayer Leverkusen 1–1 Arsenal (11 March 2026, UCL)
Team News
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta faces an anxious wait over Jurriën Timber, who was forced off with an injury during the first half against Everton. Martin Ødegaard and Leandro Trossard also remain major doubts, while Mikel Merino is definitely out.
Notably, Declan Rice was the standout performer in the first leg, completing 96% of his passes—the highest rate by an Arsenal midfielder in a knockout game since 2010. Viktor Gyökeres is likely to return to the starting XI after scoring against Everton.
Bayer Leverkusen
The visitors are sweating on the fitness of goalscorer Aleix Garcia (head) and Martin Terrier (ankle) after both were forced off against Bayern. Notably, flying full-back Alejandro Grimaldo is available for selection after serving a domestic ban.
Grimaldo has been Leverkusen’s primary creative engine, creating 26 chances in the Champions League this season—a new club record. Mark Flekken, Arthur, and Lucas Vázquez remain among a lengthy injury list.
Form
Arsenal
Arsenal are in imperious form, enjoying a 13-match unbeaten run across all competitions that includes 10 victories and a nine-point cushion at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners have turned the Emirates into a fortress, winning their last six consecutive home games. Defensively, they have been nearly impassable at home, keeping four clean sheets in that six-game sequence.
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen arrive in London following three consecutive draws, part of a six-match unbeaten streak that has seen them win only once since February. Despite their recent affinity for draws, they remain uncharacteristically solid defensively; the only goal they have conceded in their last four European matches was Havertz’s penalty in the first leg. Significantly, left-back Piero Hincapié has been a defensive wall, boasting a tournament-high 77.3% duel success rate.
Predicted Lineups
Arsenal Predicted XI (4-3-3): Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Saka, Martinelli; Gyokeres
