Two modern-day “Invincibles” of European football meet on Wednesday night as Bayer Leverkusen host Arsenal at the BayArena in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie in the UEFA Champions League.
Leverkusen famously went through the 2023–24 Bundesliga campaign unbeaten, while Arsenal achieved the same feat in the Premier League during the legendary 2003–04 season. Now, the two sides meet with a place in the quarterfinals on the line.
Arsenal were one of the standout teams in the Champions League league phase. Under the guidance of manager Mikel Arteta, the Gunners won all eight of their matches to finish top of the table in dominant fashion.
During that run, Arsenal defeated several high-profile opponents including Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. They also finished the league phase with the best attacking and defensive record, scoring 23 goals while conceding just four.
With a favourable knockout draw that keeps them away from giants like Real Madrid, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City until potentially the final, expectations are growing that Arsenal could finally lift their first Champions League trophy.
Arteta’s side continue to perform strongly across competitions as they chase a historic quadruple. Despite criticism from some rivals about their tactical time management and heavy reliance on set pieces, Arsenal’s results have continued to speak for themselves.
The North London club arrive in Germany on the back of four consecutive victories in all competitions. Their most recent result saw a rotated Arsenal team defeat Mansfield Town 2-1 in the FA Cup, extending an impressive run that has seen them score at least twice in eight of their last 11 away games.
Leverkusen’s remarkable unbeaten Bundesliga title run under Xabi Alonso last season was one of the biggest stories in European football. However, the German side have struggled to maintain the same dominance this campaign.
Following a turbulent period that included a disappointing spell under Erik ten Hag, former Denmark national team coach Kasper Hjulmand has since taken charge and helped steady the club both domestically and in Europe.
Leverkusen finished 16th in the Champions League league phase but managed to reach the knockout rounds through the playoff stage. A 2-0 away victory over Olympiacos in the first leg gave them control of the tie, before a goalless draw at home confirmed their place in the last 16.
Recent form has been inconsistent, though. Leverkusen have won just one of their last five matches in all competitions and were involved in an entertaining 3-3 draw with SC Freiburg in their latest Bundesliga outing.
Despite those struggles, their home form remains encouraging. Hjulmand’s team are unbeaten in their last six matches at the BayArena and have conceded only one goal across those games.
Historically, Leverkusen held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw in Germany during the 2002 Champions League campaign. However, Arsenal have since recorded two commanding 4-1 wins against the German side — once later in that same season and again during a pre-season encounter in 2024.
Team News
Arsenal rested several key players during the FA Cup win over Mansfield, including goalkeeper David Raya, midfielder Martin Zubimendi, and England international Declan Rice. All are expected to return to the starting lineup.Defender William Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori and forward Leandro Trossard have also trained ahead of the match, although captain Martin Odegaard remains unavailable with a knee injury.
Meanwhile, Leverkusen are dealing with several injury concerns. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken and defender Loic Bade are among those sidelined, while attackers Nathan Tella and Eliesse Ben Seghir are also unavailable.
Striker Patrik Schick is close to returning from a muscular issue but may start on the bench. Instead, teenage forward Christian Kofane is expected to lead the attack.
In defence, former Liverpool centre-back Jarell Quansah could start in the middle of Leverkusen’s back three, while wing-back Alejandro Grimaldo remains a major threat from set pieces.
Possible Starting Lineups
Bayer Leverkusen:Blaswich; Andrich, Quansah, Tapsoba; Poku, Garcia, Fernandez, Grimaldo; Maza, Terrier; Kofane
Arsenal:
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Eze, Martinelli; Gyokeres
Expert Prediction
Bayer Leverkusen 0-2 Arsenal
