Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen: Team news and predicted line-up | OneFootball

Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen travel to London this week to play out the second leg of the two-legged UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash against Arsenal. 

After finding the equaliser late against Die Werkself in a hotly contested match in Germany, Mikel Arteta’s men restored their nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League table with a 2-0 win over Everton in their last outing. The Gunners know that they will have their work cut out against Leverkusen, even at the Emirates Stadium, as the German side exposed numerous Arsenal’s faults and exploited them quite well in the first leg. 

Max Dowman became the Premier League’s all-time youngest scorer during the weekend against The Toffees. However, he is not expected to start the game. Jurrien Timber suffered a first-half injury in the same match, and it is set to keep him out of the Champions League clash. Martin Ødegaard and Leandro Trossard remain out of the clash with injuries. Viktor Gyökeres will lead the attack again, benching Kai Havertz. 

Leverkusen approach this game on the back of a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich in a match, where they were only denied by a stellar defensive display by the Bavarians, who ended the clash with nine men. Kasper Hjulmand’s men have secured five draws in their last six matches across all competitions, and their recent record suggests that they could force Arsenal to go into penalties. 

Midfielder Aleix García could be made to follow concussion safety procedures after sustaining a head injury against Bayern Munich, and he is predicted to be dropped. Martin Terrier was also forced off following an ankle knock, but he is ready to feature in the starting line-up versus Arsenal. Alejandro Grimaldo will return to the line-up after serving a domestic ban.

Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen predicted line-ups

Arsenal: Raya – Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori – Rice, Zubimendi – Madueke, Eze, Gabriel Martinelli – Gyökeres.

Leverkusen: Blaswich – Andrich, Quansah, Tapsoba – Poku, Fernández, Palacios, Grimaldo – Maza, Terrier; Kofane.

GGFN | Trambak Bhattacherjee