Champions League: Gunners to Finish the Job on Home Turf

Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen

This is one big week for Arsenal; after stretching their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points, next weekend they have a Carabao Cup final date with Manchester City.

And while things are looking pretty rosy for Gunners in their domestic world, they also have a great chance to advance to the Champions League quarter finals on Tuesday.  While the rest of the English contingent toiled last week, Arsenal rescued a 1-1 draw in Leverkusen and the Champions League 2026 betting odds have consistently backed Mikel Arteta’s men to lift the European crown in May.

Kasper Hjulmand has been a steadying influence at Leverkusen, in a season of transition at the club, and he navigated Die Werkself through a play-off against Olympiacos to make the knockout phase, while Arsenal topped the league phase with eight wins from eight.

But the Germans, though huge underdogs in this fixture, are certainly still in it and they almost arrived at the Emirates with a valuable lead. And Leverkusen held runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich to a 1-1 draw on Saturday, while Arsenal beat Everton 2-0.    

 

Talking points

Arsenal’s Quadruple Hopes are growing  

After putting together a perfect set of Champions League 2026 results at the league phase, to draw their first Round of 16 match was a bit of a let-down for the Gunners; but they will be happy with the outcome after trailing until the 89^th minute, when Kai Havertz converted a penalty to deny his boyhood club a first leg victory.

It was a difficult night for Arteta’s men who only managed six shots in total, but that late goal put them in charge and it was a similar story when they returned to Premier League action on Saturday. The Gunners clash with Everton was always going to be a stodgy affair and they had to dig deep, surviving a first had scare as Dwight McNeil hit a post, and entering the latter stages at 0-0. But Viktor Gyokeres grabbed a poacher’s goal on 89 minutes before 16 year old Max Dowman became the youngest goal scorer in Premier League history with a last minute breakaway strike.

Manchester City’s failure to beat West Ham United later on Saturday put the Gunners firmly in charge of the title race and, as well as fighting for their first piece of silverware in next week’s Carabao Cup final, Arsenal are also in the last eight of the FA Cup and inching ever closer to a first Premier League title in 22 years.

 

Draw specialists Bayer

Die Werkself’s 1-1 with Arsenal last week was one of five draws from their last six games and, while they are clearly hard to beat, Hjulmand will be looking to turn those draws into wins in the coming weeks. Leverkusen are fighting for a Champions League place again this term, currently sixth in the Bundesliga table and only two points behind fourth place. A draw with Bayern is a good result, though the Bavarians did go down to nine men by the final whistle. When midfielder Aleix Garcia had struck and Bayern had Nicolas Jackson sent off Die Werkself were in a great position, but Colombian winger Luis Diaz levelled for Munich before he was sent off.

Last week Bayer were leading Arsenal through skipper Robert Andrich until the Gunners’ very late equaliser and, while a 3-3 draw away to SC Freiburg was a decent return, draws at home to FSV Mainz and Olympiacos were less so. Hjulmand has players who can create chances; Czech striker Patrik Schick has seven goals while Alejandro Grimaldo has six goals and five assists; and Garcia has made five league assists this term. The visitors will be difficult to break down and if they can hold firm they need to take their chance when it comes.

 

History

Arsenal were the Champions League finalists in 2006, losing to Barcelona, while Leverkusen were defeated by Real Madrid in the 2022 final.

This is the third time these two teams have met; once last week playing out the draw in Leverkusen while Arsenal beat Die Werkself 4-1 at the Emirates in 2024.

And in terms of recent form Arsenal have won five and drawn one of the last six games in all competitions, while Leverkusen have drawn five and won once.  

 

Betting Tip

The Gunners are red hot SBOTOP favourites to win this leg, and the tie, at a price of 1.30, with the draw at 5.45 and a Leverkusen victory at 9.50. I expect Arsenal to go through but not without an evening of toil, and I think the margin will be a single goal.  

If you think Arsenal will be more comfortable then the hosts can be backed at a price of 2.05 with that -2.00 goals handicap. 

   

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