{"id":37,"date":"2026-03-17T21:11:57","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T21:11:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/osport.com.ng\/2026\/03\/17\/arsenal-champions-league-path-to-final-becomes-clearer-with-reunion-in-the-offing\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T21:11:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T21:11:57","slug":"arsenal-champions-league-path-to-final-becomes-clearer-with-reunion-in-the-offing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/?p=37","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal Champions League path to final becomes clearer with reunion in the offing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_dc1a54\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Arsenal have discovered their Champions League quarter-final opponents if they manage to see off Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night<\/h2>\n<p><button class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"33611672\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33611672.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/1_JS400327847.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33611672.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/1_JS400327847.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33611672.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/1_JS400327847.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33611672.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/1_JS400327847.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Mikel Arteta has discovered who his Arsenal side could face in the next round of the Champions League\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Mikel Arteta has discovered who his Arsenal side could face in the next round of the Champions League<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Arsenal&#8217;s path to Champions League glory has become clearer after Sporting beat Bodo\/Glimt to set up a quarter-final clash against either the Gunners or Bayer Leverkusen. Both Arsenal and Leverkusen meet on Tuesday evening with the tie evenly poised at 1-1 after the first leg in Germany last week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">And the winner will face Sporting \u2013 Viktor Gyokeres&#8217; old club \u2013 after a thrilling second leg in Lisbon on Tuesday evening. The Portuguese side were trailing 3-0 from the first leg in Norway, but goals from Goncalo Inacio, Pedro Goncalves and Luis Suarez put them level to take it to extra-time at the Jose Alvalade Stadium.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Maxi Araujo then completed the extraordinary comeback to make it 4-3 on aggregate, before they added a fifth right at the end to seal their place in the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">If Arsenal manage to overcome Leverkusen on Tuesday and then Sporting in the last eight, they will face one of Barcelona, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur or Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE!<\/strong><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"> <\/strong><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><u>Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page<\/u><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Barca are currently level at 1-1 from the first leg at St James&#8217; Park. The second leg in Catalonia takes place on Wednesday (5:45pm GMT).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Spurs, meanwhile, trail Atletico 5-2 from the first leg in Madrid. The second leg of that tie will also be played on Wednesday (8pm GMT).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The Gunners, though, will be confident of a deep run in this season&#8217;s competition, having been drawn in the weaker side of the draw &#8211; avoiding holders Paris Saint-Germain, European giants Real Madrid, German champions Bayern Munich and Premier League title rivals Manchester City.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-33555127\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"33555127\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Champions League trophy \" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33555127.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/1_GettyImages-2231811369.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33555127.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/1_GettyImages-2231811369.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33555127.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/1_GettyImages-2231811369.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33555127.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/1_GettyImages-2231811369.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Arsenal face Bayer Leverkusen looking to progress in the Champions League\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Arsenal face Bayer Leverkusen looking to progress in the Champions League<cite aria-label=\"Image: 2025 UEFA\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: 2025 UEFA)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">PSG, who knocked Arsenal out of last year&#8217;s competition, lead Chelsea 5-2 from the first leg in Paris and are set to meet either Liverpool or Galatasaray in the quarter-finals. The Reds trail 1-0 from the first leg in Turkey.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The winner of that quarter-final would face either Real, who lead Man City 3-0 from the first leg, or Bayern who hold a commanding 6-1 lead over Atalanta.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Whatever happens in the other ties, Arsenal&#8217;s showdown in north London against Leverkusen will be Mikel Arteta&#8217;s focus on Tuesday evening. The Spaniard did, however, admit before the first leg that his team&#8217;s 100 per cent record in the League Phase has earned his side a kind draw.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He said: &#8220;Well, we are very excited to play the next round. We have earned the right to be in a strong position, what we\u2019ve done in the group stage and that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;Now we need to start to analyse them and find ways to be better than them to try and go through the tie.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;We are really excited. Going on four fronts and the way the team is consistently performing gives us a lot of hope and positive thoughts about what is coming. But we can only focus on the present.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Arsenal have discovered their Champions League quarter-final opponents if they manage to see off Bayer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arsenal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=37"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/38"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=37"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=37"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=37"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}