Champions League

Round of 16

ARS Arsenal Arsenal - B04 Leverkusen Bayer Leverkusen

Arsenal Arsenal

Leverkusen Bayer Leverkusen

D. Rice
63'

E. Eze
36'

Emirates Stadium

Danny Desmond Makkelie

Full-time: Arsenal 2-0 Leverkusen (agg 3-1)

The Champions League journey comes to an end for Leverkusen against Arsenal, and in the end, the Gunners just had too much firepower. However, Leverkusen showed themselves capable of competing with the very best, and Arsenal needed a couple of top-quality goals to get the win. Perhaps if that late Kofane chance had gone in, things might have suddenly turned out differently.

End of second half

Full-time

90'

+ 3

Corner Leverkusen

Still time?

90'

+ 2

Nørgaard's header saved

Rice's corner is met by Nørgaard, but Blaswich is there to beat the ball away.

90'

Added time

There will be four minutes of additional time.

90'

Substitution

Myles Lewis-Skelly

Viktor Gyökeres

87'

Stunning save

Leverkusen combine neatly to get forward down the right, before Kofane is found in the middle. He gets a foot to the ball, but Raya is there to make a superb save to stop the ball going in at the back post.

85'

Kofane fires wide

The Leverkusen striker has space to shoot, but he drags his effort wide.

83'

Substitution

Ezequiel Fernández

Robert Andrich

82'

Dangerous deliveries

Now that Schick is on the pitch, Leverkusen are sending the ball into the box a lot more, but so far, Arsenal are clearing their lines successfully.

78'

Saka denied

Arsenal break again and Saka beats Grimaldo to work shooting space, but Blaswich is there once more to make the save.

77'

Quansah heads wide

A good cross from Culbreath is flicked goalwards by Quansah, but the headed effort drifts wide.

75'

A wasted chance

Arsenal counter after that flurry of corners, and they should make more of the chance. Gyökeres finds Saka in the box, but his cross-shot is gathered by Blaswich with two players waiting at the back post.

74'

Leverkusen causing problems

A series of Leverkusen corners eventually lead to Saliba deflecting the ball over after a mistake from Raya.

71'

Havertz has the ball in the net

But it won't count. After Saka nodded the ball back across, the ball hit Havertz's hand before being bundled home.

70'

Subs galore

Arsenal make a quadruple sub, with Havertz amongst those coming on. Hjulmand also decides to make a change as Schick is on for Palacios.

70'

Substitution

Patrik Schick

Exequiel Palacios

69'

Substitution

Kai Havertz

Eberechi Eze

69'

Substitution

Gabriel Martinelli

Leandro Trossard

69'

Substitution

Cristhian Mosquera

Ben White

68'

Substitution

Christian Nørgaard

Martín Zubimendi

68'

Eze almost adds a third

Eze spins García superbly on halfway and bursts forward into the box. He then twists inside Andrich, but Quansah is there to make an important block.

66'

Almost an opportunity

Grimaldo's cross is flicked on by Kofane and reaches Culbreath, but the youngster doesn't have time to shoot, and his eventual cross is cleared.

Rice makes it 2-0!

Leverkusen struggle to clear the ball over and over again, and eventually Rice controls a clearance on the edge of the box and whips a perfectly placed shot into the bottom corner. Leverkusen now need two goals.

63'

Declan Rice

GOAL!

2:0

62'

So close

Arsenal combine superbly down the right, with Saka releasing Gyökeres. He sends in a dangerous cross, but Quansah does brilliantly to clear. Gyökeres then has a chance to shoot, but Andrich manages to deflect the shot wide.

60'

Double change

Leverkusen make the first changes of the night as Tillman and Culbreath replace Terrier and Poku.

60'

Substitution

Malik Tillman

Martin Terrier

60'

Substitution

Montrell Culbreath

Ernest Poku

57'

Wild

Andrich bursts into midfield and has a go, but the Leverkusen captain misses the target by some margin.

54'

Good football, good block

Leverkusen pop the ball around nicely to get to the edge of the box, and Maza shoots, but Gabriel is there to make the block.

52'

Gyökeres has a go

Poku tackles the ball to Gyökeres in his desperation to keep the ball, and the Swede turns and shoots from range, but Blaswich makes the stop. A few moments before, Saka nearly had the space to shoot, but Leverkusen held firm to deny the winger.

49'

Not far away

Trossard picks up the ball on the edge of the Leverkusen box and has a go, and he doesn't miss by a lot.

48'

Could have been more

Kofane gets into the box, but he can't find a teammate with a pass.

46'

Palacios in the book

The Leverkusen midfielder catches Eze late and goes into the book.

46'

Yellow card

Exequiel Palacios

46'

Back underway

The ball is moving again in North London as Leverkusen get the game back underway.

Kick-off!

Half-time: Arsenal 1-0 Leverkusen (aggregate 2-1)

Arsenal lead at the break and deservedly so after throwing waves of attacks at the Leverkusen goal. Up until the 36th minute, Blaswich had been equal to every effort, but then Eze produced an unstoppable effort to give Arsenal the lead. However, the gap is only one goal, and Leverkusen remain a threat on the counter through Kofane. This tie is far from over.

Half-time

45'

+ 1

Surprisingly dangerous

An overhit cross from García has Raya worried for a moment, but in the end, the ball drops out of play, and the referee blows for half-time.

45'

Added time

There'll be just one minute of additional time before the break.

41'

Arsenal continue to threaten

The hosts are keen to press home their advantage and add a second, but Leverkusen are just about holding the Gunners at bay. They also continue to look like a threat through long balls to Kofane.

Unstoppable!

That is sensational from Eze! Arsenal pop the ball around near halfway before Trossard finds Eze with a bouncing ball. He takes one touch and then hammers the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the box.

36'

Eberechi Eze

GOAL!

1:0

33'

Tapsoba's header is saved

Leverkusen win a corner on the counter, and Tapsoba gets up highest to win the header, but it is straight at Raya.

32'

Somehow the ball stays out

Arsenal work a corner short before Trossard whips in an effort that Blaswich keeps out. Then it is chaos in the box with Blaswich somehow making a big stop from White.

30'

Shot blocked

Another Arsenal corner is halfway cleared to Eze, who shoots, but a Leverkusen man is in the way.

29'

Huge save from Blaswich

Rice's cross squirms through to Saka, who finds Trossard inside the box, but Blaswich is there again to make a stunning stop.

27'

Saka denied

Saka pounces on a loose ball and tests Blaswich yet again.

26'

Good football

Leverkusen work the ball neatly through the Arsenal press with Terrier finding Grimaldo in the box, but Hincapié gets across superbly to make the tackle.

The closest we have come to a goal

Trossard's whipped effort which was kept out by Blaswich.

24'

Saka heads goalwards

Arsenal catch Leverkusen out with a short throw, and Saka meets White's cross well, but the header is simple enough for Blaswich to save.

23'

Rice denied

Rice whips in a powerful cross/shot from a wide free-kick, and Blaswich has to be alert to parry the ball away.

21'

Narrowly over

Gabriel heads just over the bar from yet another Saka corner.

20'

Arsenal putting on the pressure

Can Leverkusen keep the Gunners at bay? Arsenal are moving the ball around neatly, but not finding too many gaps so far.

15'

Not far away

Eze pounces on a mistake from a Leverkusen throw and feeds Trossard, who scuffs his shot wide. A few moments later, Arsenal work the ball neatly into the box and Trossard forces Blaswich into an important save.

13'

Poku showing his ability

The Dutchman takes on a couple of Arsenal defenders with some good body feints before being brought to ground, but the referee waves play on.

12'

Too much on it

After Leverkusen clear Arsenal's initial corner, Eze chips the ball in towards Gabriel, but the cross has too much power.

Gabriel can't hit the target

Saka whips in Arsenal's first corner of the game, and Gabriel is there at the first post, but he can only connect with his shoulder instead of his head, and the ball drifts wide.

Leverkusen staying compact

After a good spell of early possession, the Leverkusen players are now maintaining a solid shape and looking to stop Arsenal from working any space.

First corner

Kofane and Saliba challenge for a dangerous cross from the right, and the ball deflects out for a corner. Arsenal eventually get the ball clear.

We're underway

The ball is moving in London.

Kick-off!

Players on the pitch

The Champions League anthem is playing, and the atmosphere is superb ahead of this huge clash. Not long now until the ball is moving in London.

Players warming up

Just over 20 minutes now until we get underway, and the players are out on the pitch going through their paces.

Leverkusen hoping to extend remarkable record against English opposition

Having picked up a draw in the first leg, Leverkusen have now lost just one of their last eight against English opposition, winning three of those.

More on that Arsenal team

Mikel Arteta makes four changes from the side that beat Everton 2-0 at the weekend, with White, Leverkusen loanee Hincapié, Trossard, and Gyökeres all coming into the starting XI. That means there is no place for Dowman, who became the Premier League's youngest ever goalscorer at the weekend, as he is on the bench. Former Leverkusen man Havertz is also on the bench, having started at the weekend.

More on that Leverkusen team

Leverkusen's line-up is the same as the team from the first leg, meaning Grimaldo, Palacios, Maza and Kofane all come back into the team after not featuring from the start against Bayern last time out.

Arsenal starting XI

Raya - White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapié - Rice, Zubimendi - Saka, Eze, Trossard - Gyökeres

Arsenal subs

Arrizabalaga, Ranson, Mosquera, Jesus, Martinelli, Nørgaard, Madueke, Havertz, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman

Leverkusen starting XI

Blaswich – Quansah, Andrich (c), Tapsoba – Poku, Palacios, García, Grimaldo – Maza, Terrier – Kofane

Leverkusen subs

Omlin, Lomb, Fernández, Hofmann, Tillman, Schick, Oermann, Tape, Culbreath

2:39

Watch: Hjulmand targets knockout blow

Leverkusen team news

Kasper Hjulmand sounded the all-clear for Martin Terrier, who took a knock on his ankle during Leverkusen's draw against Bayern, meaning there are no new absences for the Bundesliga outfit. Additionally, Grimaldo returns after serving a domestic suspension at the weekend.

Palacios on facing Arsenal

"It will be a different game [to the first leg], but we have belief in ourselves and in our game. I always try to contribute with my passion and energy to ensure that we, as a team and as a club, keep progressing."

Hjulmand on the second leg

"We expect a very close game. In the first leg, we didn't give them much of a chance. We'll try to be just as dominant second time around. We're confident we can win here and that we can advance in this competition."

Arteta on the second leg

"Watching them play against Bayern at the weekend, very similar [to last week]. Really well coached, clear structure. We know what we have to do in front of our crowd. Hopefully we are going to do it."

Arsenal team news

Mikel Arteta has confirmed that both Martin Ødegaard and Jurrien Timber will miss the second leg against Bayer Leverkusen, but Leandro Trossard is available again after missing Saturday's win over Everton.

Simon Rolfes on growing confidence

"We want to challenge them. Performances like the first leg or the recent one against Bayern Munich will certainly help our young team. That gives them confidence individually, but also as a team. It will be another big challenge, especially in a vibrant stadium. It's a fantastic opportunity to deliver another strong performance."

Simon Rolfes on facing Arsenal

"It will certainly be another exciting match - a 'final' that will decide the outcome. Expectations are high for Arsenal, which can put them under pressure, and that's precisely our opportunity."

1:06

Watch: Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Bayern Munich - highlights

Leverkusen followed up their impressive first-leg display against Arsenal by earning a point against league leaders Bayern Munich on Matchday 26, and could have even won the game late on.

Mikel Arteta's reaction to the first leg

"The game had very different periods. We started well, had a massive chance, hit the crossbar with Martinelli. We had some dominance, but didn't do enough actions. They were quite dangerous because of that. We didn't pay enough attention at kick-off and after they scored the goal."

Kapser Hjulmand's on Andrich's Arsenal performance

"As a very experienced player, he [Andrich] played an outstanding game after his early yellow card," stated the Bayer boss. Despite the late goal conceded, Hjulmand is "very hopeful" about the second leg in just under a week's time thanks to his team's good display, and he and his team want to "put in another great performance to take the opportunity to progress."

Kasper Hjulmand's reaction to the first leg

"We played really well against a top opponent and didn't give away too many chances. We moved well and also did well on the ball. We're a bit disappointed about the last action, also because I didn't see it as a penalty."

Havertz's comes to Arsenal's rescue

Leverkusen were minutes away from a famous Champions League victory in the first leg, only for their former player, Kai Havertz, to net a late penalty and make it 1-1. Bayer captain Robert Andrich opened the scoring in Germany with a bullet header from a corner, and they'll be hoping to replicate that routine again at the Emirates, where goals from set pieces have been a frequent occurrence this season.

Welcome!

Follow all the action and live build-up from Bayer Leverkusen's UEFA Champions League last-16 second leg against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.