Arsenal’s potential route to the Champions League final

Arsenal have now discovered their Champions League round of 16 opponents and their potential route to the final.

The Gunners were drawn against Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in the next stage after Kasper Hjulmand’s side beat Olympiacos 2-0 on aggregate in the play-offs. Draws will be played on Wednesday March 11 and Tuesday March 17.

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Not only have Mikel Arteta’s side learned who they will face in the last 16, they have also learned who their potential opponents could be as they look to qualify for their second Champions League final.

Arsenal’s potential route to the Champions League final

Here’s who Arsenal could face en route to the Champions League final if they get the better of Bayer Leverkusen next month.

Quarter-finals

A meeting with Sporting or Bod/Glimt awaits them if the Gunners progress to the last 16, both being very favorable ties.

Arteta’s side last met the Portuguese champions in last season’s league stage as they came away from Lisbon with a dominant 5-1 victory with Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard all getting on the scoresheet. A meeting with Rui Borges’ team will mean a reunion with his old club for Gykeres.

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Arsenal have only met Bod/Glimt twice before, winning both meetings in the 2022/23 Europa League group stage. The home encounter was won 3-0 while the away draw was closer, with the north Londoners securing a slim 1-0 triumph.

Semi-finals

The semi-final is where it will get a little more difficult for Arsenal, but they will still be rubbing their hands at the sight of their potential opponents in the last four.

It could be an all-Premier League semi-final with Newcastle and north London rivals Tottenham on the same side of the draw. The Gunners won 2-1 at St James’ Park earlier this season and will play the reverse leg at home just days before the semi-final first leg.

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Both derbies with Spurs ended in dominant victories for Arteta’s side this campaign. A 4-1 home win saw Eberechi Eze hit the headlines with a hat-trick while Leandro Trossard also found the back of the net. The number 10 was once again the hero in the first leg, scoring twice alongside Gykeres, who also scored twice in another 4-1 triumph.

The other two possible opponents are from La Liga, namely Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Barca are Arsenal’s familiar opponents in Europe, winning six of their nine meetings, including the 2006 Champions League final. Their Spanish counterparts have not met the Gunners as often, but their last meeting came earlier this season with Arsenal winning 4-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

Final

On the other side of the table are some of the best teams in Europe who will be just as eager as Arteta’s side to get their hands on the Champions League trophy.

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If Arsenal want to reach the final, they will face Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Galatasaray, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Atalanta or Bayern Munich.

This article was originally published on www.paininthearsenal.com as Arsenal’s potential path to the Champions League final.