Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal Prediction: Viktor can make Arsenal tick

Bayer Leverkusen welcome Arsenal to the BayArena in the first leg of the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday (17:45 GMT, TNT Sports).

The Gunners won eight from eight as they steamrollered the league phase, whereas Leverkusen needed a knockout phase win against Olympiacos over two legs to negotiate the play-offs. Keep reading for my Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal predictions with the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Bayer striker Patrik Schick has endured a stop-start season with injuries. A muscle problem is expected to keep him out of action for this one. A torn ligament looks set to sideline Brazil right back Arthur for the foreseeable future.

The hosts will also be without Mark Flekken (knee), Loic Bade (hamstring), Lucas Vazquez (calf), Eliesse Ben Seghir (calf) and Nathan Tella (foot) for the visit of the Gunners.

The Premier League leaders may field a player who belongs to the opposition. Defender Piero Hincapie is on loan from Bayer and could step in for the injured Riccardo Calafiori or Ben White.

Mikel Arteta will also have to work around the absences of Mikel Merino (foot), Martin Odegaard (knee) and Leandro Trossard (hip).

Football Odds

Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal Odds

Bayer are priced at 5/1 despite home advantage. That plays into just how ruthless Arteta’s boys have been in the Champions League. The Gunners are 4/7 to pick up a ninth victory in this season’s competition, implying a 63.6% probability of them travelling back to London with the advantage. The draw is priced at 3/1.

Total goals under 2.5 @ 1/1

First legs are often cagey affairs. Arsenal are an underrated force going forward, with no team having scored more than them in either the Champions League group phase or Premier League this term. But it is fair to say Arteta’s teams are set up primarily for solidity without the ball. After all, they also have the best defensive record in both the UCL and PL this season.

The first leg setting and the fact the Gunners are away from home will keep this one tight, I believe. Arteta will be eyeing a professional job, while Bayer have only scored more than two in a CL game once this season. Expect tension over goalmouth action.

Victor Gyokeres to score anytime @ 5/4

The former Coventry City and Sporting CP frontman has been a figure of fun for rival fans this term. But 15 goals from 38 games is hardly the stuff that should land him on a Greatest Flop XI video hosted by some foetus on Tik Tok. The Sweden international is playing at a new level and the numbers suggest he is adapting slowly, but surely.

Four goals in six CL games is certainly not to be sniffed at. In what I expect to be a tight game, Gyokeres is the man I foresee finding a precious half-yard and slotting it home against a Bayer team that will understandably be cautious.

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.