A place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League is on the line as Arsenal host Bayer Leverkusen in their round of 16 second-leg encounter in London on Tuesday night.
The tie is finely balanced at 1-1 following the first leg in Germany, where Kai Havertz struck late against his former club to level matters.
Mikel Arteta’s side head into the clash with confidence, boasting an impressive home record this season. The Gunners have lost just once at home across all competitions and have been particularly dominant in Europe, winning all four of their league-phase matches in front of their fans while scoring 12 goals.
Arsenal have also lost only one of their last 22 UEFA competition matches at home, underlining the challenge facing the visitors.
Despite the odds, Leverkusen have shown they can compete at this level. Their 2-0 away win over Olympiacos marked a breakthrough in knockout-stage away fixtures, and they will take encouragement from their disciplined performance in the first leg.
Midfielder Exequiel Palacios and his teammates will look to build on that display, with set-pieces again likely to be a key weapon.
Form guide
Arsenal: WDWWW
Latest result: 2-0 win over Everton
Leverkusen: DDDWD
Latest result: 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich
Coaches’ views
Mikel Arteta (Arsenal):
“We know what we have to do in front of our crowd. Hopefully, we can get the job done.”
Kasper Hjulmand (Leverkusen):
“We expect a very close game. We’re confident we can come here, win, and progress.”
With the tie delicately poised, Arsenal will rely on their formidable home form, while Leverkusen’s organisation and resilience could yet spring a surprise. A tightly contested encounter is expected as both sides battle for a spot in the last eight.
In other Last 16 match, Sporting CP host Bodø/Glimt in their second-leg encounter in Lisbon.
The Portuguese champions head into the decisive clash trailing 3-0 from the first leg, leaving them with a mountain to climb in front of their home supporters.
Sporting banking on home strength
Sporting have been formidable at the Estádio José Alvalade in this season’s competition, winning all four of their home matches during the league phase. Notably, they secured convincing victories, including three-goal margins, which they will need to replicate to overturn the deficit.
Midfielder Pedro Gonçalves is expected to play a key role as the hosts push for an early breakthrough while trying to avoid conceding.
Bodø/Glimt arrive in Lisbon in exceptional form. Their dominant first-leg victory extended their winning streak in the competition to five matches, making them the first Norwegian side to achieve that feat in the Champions League.
With confidence high, Bodø/Glimt will look to manage the game effectively and exploit counterattacking opportunities to protect their advantage.
Form guide
Sporting CP: LDWWW
Latest: 3-0 loss to Bodø/Glimt
Bodø/Glimt: WWWWW
Latest: 3-0 win over Sporting CP
Coaches’ views
Rui Borges (Sporting CP):
“We know it will be difficult, but we believe in our ability to produce something special. We need an almost perfect performance.”
Kjetil Knutsen (Bodø/Glimt):
“We fear nothing. We expect intensity, but we are confident in our approach.”
