Arsenal’s Champions League draw and path to final revealed | OneFootball

Arsenal will play Bayer Leverkusen in the last-16 of the Champions League, while their road to the Budapest final has been set.

Mikel Arteta’s side won all eight of their games in the league phase to top the standings, in an impressive start to their continental campaign.

The stakes will be raised, though, by knockout football and Arteta will have to manage the demands of also chasing a long-awaited Premier League title.

And the Gunners will be determined to go one step better after defeat to eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain in last season’s semi-finals.

Leverkusen, the 2023-24 Bundesliga champions, secured a place in the last-16 after a 0-0 draw with Olympiacos completed a 2-0 aggregate win. Arsenal have only played the German side twice, during the group phase of the 2001-02 Champions League.

Arsenal’s Champions League draw

Should they progress past Leverkusen, Arsenal will face either Bodo/Glimt or Sporting CP in the quarter-finals. As Arsenal are top seeds, they will be at home in the second leg.

What about the semi-finals?

If Arsenal return to the semi-finals for the second consecutive season, they know they would play one of four teams:

They are Newcastle, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham.

Again, as Arsenal are top seeds, they will be at home in the second leg.

Top half

Paris Saint-Germain vs Chelsea

Galatasaray vs Liverpool

Real Madrid vs Manchester City

Atalanta vs Bayern Munich

Bottom half

Newcastle vs Barcelona

Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham

Bodo/Glimt vs Sporting CP

Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal

The last-16 ties will take place in mid-March. Here are the remaining round dates:

Round of 16: 10/11 & 17/18 March 2026

Quarter-finals: 7/8 & 14/15 April 2026

Semi-finals: 28/29 April & 5/6 May 2026

Final: 30 May 2026 (Budapest)

The best betting sites have priced Arsenal up as the favourites to win the tournament this season.

Winner – 7/2

To reach the final – 7/4