Arsenal once again focus their attention on Europe’s top competition when they visit Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie. The match will be played on Wednesday at the BayArena, where the English team will seek to take the first step towards the quarterfinals against the 2023-24 Bundesliga champion.
The team led by Mikel Arteta It reaches this stage after a practically perfect league phase. The Londoners finished at the top of the table with full victories, also posting the best offensive and defensive records of the new format of the tournament, with 23 goals for and just four against.
Before this European commitment, the Gunners faced a duel for the FA Cup against the Mansfield Townwhom they eliminated to advance in the domestic tournament. With that result as a boost and the confidence left by their outstanding run in the Champions League, Arsenal appear in Germany with the intention of confirming their candidacy for the continental title.
The possible alignment of Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen
BY: David Raya – Starter of the Arsenal team since last season. In the 2025-26 Champions League, they participated in the league phase with 5 clean sheets and only 2 goals conceded, figures that helped the team finish as the best defense in the tournament.
LD: The Timber Jury – Versatile full-back, strong one-on-one and with great ball delivery. In the current Champions League he has scored 1 goal in 6 games, also providing defensive balance on the right wing.
DFC: William Saliba – One of the most reliable centre-backs in European football. Undisputed starter for Arteta, he stands out for his precision in starting and his dominance in duels, being part of the defense that only conceded 4 goals in the entire league phase of the tournament.
DFC: Gabriel Magalhães – Ideal complement to Saliba due to physical power and aerial play. The Brazilian even contributed a goal and an assist in the 2025-26 Champions League, in addition to being key in set-piece actions both in defense and attack.
LI: Piero Hincapié – The Ecuadorian defender combines aggressiveness in marking with a good start from behind. He can act as a center back or full back and has participated in several European matches this season, providing solidity in the left sector.
MC: Martín Zubimendi – Midfielder with a tactical profile who orders the game from the base. In this Champions League he has participated in six games and has given two assists, being one of those in charge of initiating circulation and protecting the defense.
MC: Declan Rice – The engine of Arsenal’s midfield. He combines recovery, travel and arrival at the rival area, and has been a regular starter in the continental tournament, where he has already accumulated six appearances in the European campaign.
MCO: God bless you – Creative footballer in charge of linking the midfield with the attack. In the European tournament he has played 7 games, providing leadership, imbalance and the ability to generate chances in the final third.
ED: Bukayo Saka – The Gunners’ breakthrough. In the 2025-26 Champions League, he registered two goals and two assists in six games, with a passing accuracy of over 86%, in addition to being one of the players who attempts the most dribbles on the team.
HE: Gabriel Martinelli – One of the most unbalancing attackers on the team due to speed and verticality. He is also Arsenal’s top scorer in the 2025-26 Champions League with six goals in seven games, being a constant threat attacking space.
DC: Viktor Gyökeres – Swedish forward signed after a spectacular scoring period at Sporting CP, where he scored 97 goals in 102 games. In this Champions League he already has 4 goals, providing physical power, high pressure and the ability to define within the area.
This is what Arsenal’s possible formation would look like (4-2-3-1)
Goalie: David Raya
Defenses: Jurriën Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Piero Hincapié
Midfielders: Martín Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze
Front: Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyökeres
This is what the possible formation of Bayer Leverkusen would look like (3-4-2-1)
Goalie: Janis Blaswich
Defenses: Jarell Quansah, Robert Andrich, Edmond Tapsoba
Midfielders: Ernest Poku, Exequiel Palacios, Aleix Garcia, Alejandro Grimaldo, Martin Terrier, Ibrahim Maza
Front: Christian Kofane
