Arsenal route to Champions League final: Gunners could face Barcelona showdown

In partnership with

Evening Standard

·27 February 2026

Arsenal route to Champions League final: Gunners could face Barcelona showdown

Gunners are in the blue path following the Champions League draw

Arsenal have been drawn into the more favourable half of the Champions League knockout phase bracket.

OneFootball Videos

Mikel Arteta’s side finished top of the league phase of the competition to book their place straight through to the last-16 and their route to the final has been mapped out after the Champions League draw on Friday.

Arsenal will face Bayer Leverkusen in the last-16, meaning a return to familiar surroundings for Piero Hincapie and Kai Havertz.

Atalanta were one of Arsenal’s potential opponents, but it will instead be the Bundesliga side for the Gunners.

As a result of finishing top in the league phase, Arsenal will have the advantage of playing the second leg of their last-16 tie at the Emirates Stadium.

In fact, the Gunners will have home advantage throughout the knockout phase thanks to a new rule implemented by UEFA at the start of the campaign.

Should Arsenal beat Leverkusen then Arteta’s side will take on either Bodo/Glimt OR Sporting CP in the quarter-finals, setting up the possibility of Viktor Gyokeres facing his former club if the latter progress in the last-16.

Things then become very tricky in a potential semi-final as the Gunners could come up against Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in what would be a major test of their European credentials.

Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea are among those on the other side of the draw, with PSG arguably currently the strongest of those sides.

That could leave Arsenal taking on the holders in the 2026 Champions League final.

Last 16: Bayer Leverkusen

Quarter-finals: Sporting CP

Semi-finals: Barcelona

Final: PSG