Arsenal Could Face Tough Champions League Draw

English side Arsenal could face a tough UEFA Champions League (UCL) draw on Friday. The draw to determine the Round of 16 will take place on Friday, with the Premier League leader facing a potential challenge.

The draw will reveal Arsenal’s next opponent, one of the Italian side Atalanta or the German squad Bayer Leverkusen. Neither side will be an easy opponent for Mikel Arteta’s side.

In Atalanta, Arsenal faces a club that’s seventh in the Serie A standings. However, they are tied with Como with 45 points for sixth place, and just outside a Europa League spot. Atalanta is also one point behind Juventus for fifth spot in the Italian league.

It’s also worth pointing out that Arsenal’s potential opponent has won four of its last five matches, with one being a draw.

Plus, Atalanta is coming off a big 4-1 victory over the German side Borussia Dortmund. The win allowed the Italian squad to advance to the Round of 16 on a 4-3 aggregate.

Then, there’s Bayer Leverkusen. The club sits sixth in the Bundesliga at the moment, holding on to a Europa Conference League slot. With 39 points, Leverkusen is within striking distance of RB Leipzig and VFB Stuttgart. A couple of more wins and Arsenal’s other potential opponent could land another Champions League berth.

However, Leverkusen had a none-too-impressive match against the Greek side Olympiacos in its UCL matchup. The two sides drew nil-nil, allowing the German side to advance on a 2-0 aggregate.

While Arsenal may seem to have an edge over both clubs, the English squad can’t afford to rest on its laurels. The club must win big in the first leg of the Round of 16 to build confidence.

Arsenal Could Have Tough Path Ahead

Friday’s draw could lead to a tough road ahead for Arsenal. If the London-based club draws Atalanta, its next opponent could be one of Real Madrid or Manchester City. The prospect of facing either side could significantly complicate its path to the quarterfinals.

However, drawing Leverkeusen could open up a bit of an easier path. Arsenal could run into one of Manchester City or Sporting, with the possibility of running into Bodo/Glimt. While the path may seem a bit easier than potentially facing Real Madrid, again, the side can’t take anything for granted.

Six English Sides Set to Play in Round of 16

Newcastle United’s win over FK Qarabag brought a total of six English sides to the Round of 16. In addition to Newcastle, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Liverpool. Given the way the UCL bracket could play out, football fans could see an all-English final.

Of course, Spanish juggernauts Real Madrid and Barcelona will have something to say about that. Likewise, defending champs Paris Saint-Germain won’t be an easy out. There are, nevertheless, enough English sides to tip the odds for Arsenal to meet, say, Liverpool or Tottenham in the final on May 30 in Budapest.

The first leg of the Round of 16 will take place on March 10-11, with the second leg on March 17-18.

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