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UCL: Arsenal vs Leverkusen: Can Gunners Overcome Tough Opponent?

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Arsenal vs Leverkusen
Arsenal’s charge against Leverkusen

Arsenal faces Leverkusen in a crucial Champions League matchup. Can the Gunners overcome Leverkusen's strong away form and progress?


Leverkusen's Alejandro Grimaldo has been in top form. Can he lead his team to victory against Arsenal in the Champions League...


Arsenal is feeling confident heading into the second leg against Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates Stadium, but they'll need to be cautious of Alejandro Grimaldo's threat. The Spaniard was instrumental in Leverkusen's attack, delivering a corner that led to Robert Andrich's goal in the first leg.


Leverkusen is looking to pull off a major upset in the Champions League Round of 16, having held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw in Germany. Kai Havertz's late penalty rescued Arsenal's chances, but Leverkusen's performance showed they're a force to be reckoned with, especially with Grimaldo's set-piece expertise.



Arsenal's Emirates Fortress

The tie's all square, and Leverkusen's got a tough task ahead, taking on an Arsenal side that's dominant at home. 


Arsenal's on a roll at the Emirates, winning six straight games, but they can't get complacent – Leverkusen's away form in Europe's been solid, with one loss in five games.


Leverkusen's showing in the first leg was impressive, holding Arsenal to a 1-1 draw and becoming the first team in six UCL games to keep Arsenal's score under three goals. This means Leverkusen won't be pushovers in the second leg, and Arsenal will have to bring their A-game to the Emirates.



Good omens for Gunners supporters

Gunners fans are drawing parallels with the 2002 tie, when a 1-1 draw away was followed by a 4-1 Arsenal win at home. History might be on their side


Leverkusen's history in the last 16 isn't great – they've never progressed in their previous six attempts. Despite avoiding defeat in the first leg only twice before (W1 D1 L5), the stats aren't in their favor. 


Leverkusen's on a roll, unbeaten in three straight knockout games (W1 D2) for the first time since 2002.


Arsenal's got its work cut out limiting Grimaldo's impact if they want to progress. 



Grimaldo's Impact

Alejandro Grimaldo's been a game-changer for Leverkusen, and his assist for Robert Andrich's equalizer in the first leg was a perfect example. That corner was Arsenal's first conceded goal in the Champions League since November 2024 against Sporting, highlighting Grimaldo's impact.


Grimaldo's been Leverkusen's standout player, leading the charge with 26 chances created, 20 shots on goal, 3 assists, and 4 goals – tied with Schick. Arsenal will be focused on containing him. 


Leverkusen's been dominating the passing game, with 5,894 total passes this season, putting them second in the UCL. Meanwhile, Arsenal's at 4,097, which is 23rd among all teams. That's a big gap.


Martinelli's on fire. He's leading the scoring charts for Arsenal with 6 goals, despite Saka and Gyokeres matching him on shots (20) and shots on target (10). 


Martinelli's Role: Start or Super Sub?

Mikel Arteta's undecided on whether to start Gabriel Martinelli or bring him on as an impact substitute, highlighting the importance of the first goal against Leverkusenm




Mikel Merino's a no-go for Arsenal, while Odegaard and Timber are toss-ups – they'll need a late fitness test to confirm if they can play. As for Leverkusen, Arthur, Loic Bade, and Lucas Vazquez are out. 


Arsenal's UCL trend: they score most goals in the last half hour, but they're also fast starters, grabbing 4 in the opening 15 minutes.


Leverkusen's weakness might be Arsenal's chance – they've conceded 3 goals in the first 15 minutes, joint most in the UCL. Leverkusen's strongest period's usually after half-time, though. 




Scoring first's key – neither team has lost when they score first in the UCL this season. Leverkusen's struggled when conceding first, though, so getting on the board early could be crucial. 



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