Arsenal welcome Bayer Leverkusen to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night in a decisive Champions League clash, with a place in the quarter-finals hanging in the balance. The tie is finely poised at 1-1 following the first leg in Germany, setting up what promises to be a tense encounter in North London.
Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm UK time, with the match available live on TNT Sports 1 and via streaming on Discovery+.
Team news and predicted line-ups
Arsenal will have to cope without several key players, with Jurrien Timber, Martin Odegaard, and Mikel Merino all ruled out. Leverkusen also face multiple absentees, including Benoît Badiashile, Arthur, Ben Seghir, and Vazquez, while a few others remain doubts ahead of kick-off.
The Gunners are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with David Raya in goal behind a back four of Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, and Riccardo Calafiori. In midfield, Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi, and Declan Rice could start, while Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyökeres, and Leandro Trossard lead the attack.
Leverkusen may opt for a 3-4-3 setup, with Blaswich in goal and a defensive trio of Quansah, Andrich, and Tapsoba. Their midfield could feature Poku, Fernandez, Palacios, and Grimaldo, while Terrier, Kofane, and Tillman form the front line.
Form guide
Arsenal come into the match in strong form, having won four of their last five matches across all competitions, with the only exception being the first-leg draw against Leverkusen. They have remained unbeaten since late January and most recently secured a victory over Everton.
Leverkusen, on the other hand, have struggled to convert performances into wins. They have recorded just one victory in their last six matches, drawing the other five. However, a recent draw against Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich suggests they remain a difficult side to break down.
What the managers are saying
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expects a similar challenge to the one his team faced in Germany.
“Very much the same. Watching them against Bayern Munich at the weekend, they looked very similar,” he said.
“They are really well coached, with a clear structure and strong individuals. At this stage of the competition, we know what’s required. With our crowd behind us, we’ll put all the energy into getting the result.”
Leverkusen boss Kasper Hjulmand is equally confident his side can progress.
“We expect a very close game. In the first leg, we didn’t give them much of a chance,” he said.
“We’ll try to be just as dominant again. We believe we can win here and go through.”
He also emphasized his team’s mindset after recent performances:
“We weren’t satisfied after Arsenal, and we weren’t satisfied after Bayern. We felt we should have won both games. That hunger defines our level, and we need to keep pushing to match it.”
With everything still to play for, both teams will head into Tuesday night knowing that even the smallest margin could decide who moves on to the next round.
