Arsenal's potential Champions League opponents reveal draw preference as path clearer

Bayer Leverkusen chief Simon Rolfes has offered his verdict on a potential Champions League meeting against Arsenal and a recent phone call with Kai Havertz

Bayer Leverkusen have their eyes on a clash against Arsenal in the Champions League last 16, according to sporting director Simon Rolfes. The Gunners will face the German giants or Atalanta and discover who in the draw on Friday.

Leverkusen overcame Olympiacos over two legs, prevailing 2-0 on aggregate after playing out a goalless draw at home in the second leg of the play-off round. Patrik Schick's brace earned them an advantage in Greece.

Atalanta, meanwhile, pulled off an extraordinary victory over Borussia Dortmund in a clash that saw two red cards as the Italian side won 4-1 to overcome a 2-0 deficit.

Rolfes already knows his side's reward for progress is a difficult tie against Arsenal or Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga side are happy to take on the best but the sporting boss would be pleased to see some diversity in his side's schedule.

The 44-year-old does not fancy facing Bayern four times in a single month. But a homecoming for Kai Havertz, who left Leverkusen for Chelsea in 2020 before eventually joining Arsenal, would also be a nice moment.

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"They are two of the best teams in Europe, they play at the same level,” Rolfes told German publication Bild.

“That’s great. We want to play against the best. We’re looking forward to this big challenge.

"Four games in one month against Bayern? With Arsenal, there might be a bit of variety. It would be great if we were drawn against Arsenal.

"Then we could finally say goodbye to Kai Havertz at our stadium – almost six years after his departure [for Chelsea].

"I was recently in contact with Kai. He would also be happy to see us again. He was keeping his fingers crossed for us to advance.”

Arsenal last faced Leverkusen in the Champions League in 2001/02. The Gunners earned a 4-1 win at Highbury as Robert Pires, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp all got on the scoresheet in the group phase clash.

The previous fixture in Germany saw Arsenal denied victory by a 90th-minute equaliser as Pires' strike was cancelled out and Ray Parlour was sent off.

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