The draw for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League knockout stage has been made, with Arsenal set to face Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16.
This tie will see Arsenal’s Kai Havertz come up against his former club. A product of Leverkusen’s youth academy, Havertz was promoted to the first team in 2016. He moved to Chelsea in the summer of 2020, before joining Arsenal in 2023.
Reacting to the draw, Bayer Leverkusen’s official account posted: “Last time we played Arsenal in the Champions League… we reached the final… 👀”
Leverkusen’s only previous Champions League meeting with Arsenal came in the 2001/02 season: they drew 1-1 at home before losing 4-1 away.
Arsenal ultimately finished third in the group with seven points (2 wins, 1 draw, 3 defeats) and were eliminated. Leverkusen topped the group with ten points (3 wins, 1 draw, 2 defeats) to reach the quarter-finals, and went on to finish as runners-up that season.