Arsenal head to the BayArena this evening as the hot favourites for the Champions League trophy after a flawless league-phase campaign.
The Gunners set a breathtaking standard during the opening stage. They became the sole team to win all eight matches. Furthermore, they boast the competition’s best offensive and defensive records.
Mikel Arteta’s side arrives in Germany in imperious form. Currently, they enjoy an 11-match unbeaten run across all competitions. Additionally, they sit seven points clear atop the Premier League.
Last weekend, a heavily rotated side comfortably dispatched Mansfield Town in the FA Cup. Consequently, the North Londoners now focus on ending a historical hoodoo. They desperately want to conquer German opposition in two-legged knockout ties.
Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen reached this stage via a clinical knockout playoff victory over Olympiacos. This followed a rather mixed league-phase showing. Kasper Hjulmand now leads the German outfit. However, his side has struggled for recent consistency. They have won just one of their last five matches across all competitions.
Despite this, the BayArena remains a daunting venue for visiting teams. Leverkusen currently ride a six-match unbeaten home streak. Impressively, they have conceded only one goal across those 540 minutes of football. Die Werkself undoubtedly enter this clash as underdogs. Nevertheless, they take immense confidence from an unbeaten record against Premier League sides this season. This includes a massive victory over Manchester City.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal – Match preview and team news
Date: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Kick-off: 17:45 GMT
Venue: BayArena, Leverkusen
Referee: Umut Meler
VAR: Rob Dieperink
Last Meeting: Arsenal 4–1 Bayer Leverkusen (7 Aug 2024, Club Friendly)
Team News
Bayer Leverkusen
Kasper Hjulmand deals with a significant injury list heading into this first leg. Mark Flekken (knee), Nathan Tella (foot), and Loïc Badé (hamstring) are all confirmed absentees. Patrik Schick faces a late fitness test on a muscle issue, though he is considered the most likely of the doubtful players to feature. Left wing-back Alejandro Grimaldo remains their primary creative threat, having created 23 chances in the competition so far—12 more than any teammate.
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta is expected to welcome back David Raya, Declan Rice, and Gabriel Magalhães after they were rested at the weekend. However, the availability of William Saliba (ankle), Martin Ødegaard (knee), and Ben White (knock) remains uncertain. Viktor Gyökeres will lead the line, having already netted 10 goals in just 14 Champions League appearances. In a notable boost, Leverkusen loanee Piero Hincapié is eligible to face his parent club and is expected to start.
Form
Bayer Leverkusen
Die Werkself have been defensively resolute in Europe recently, keeping a clean sheet in each of their last three Champions League matches. Despite sitting sixth in the Bundesliga, they have lost only one of their last 12 matches in all competitions. Hjulmand’s side has proven uncharacteristically reliant on their left flank this term, with 43% of their chances created coming from that side of the pitch. Leverkusen historically hold a strong record against English clubs, having progressed from four of their five major European knockout ties against them.
Arsenal
The Gunners have moved into a historic rhythm, setting a club record with eight consecutive wins in the Champions League. Remarkably, Arsenal are the only team in the competition this season that has yet to trail at any point in a match. Their away form is equally staggering, as they remain unbeaten in 13 consecutive matches on the road across all competitions. Defensively, Jurriën Timber has been nearly impassable, recording the lowest “dribbled past” percentage (7.4%) of any player with over 50 tackles in the tournament.
