Hjulmand confident Leverkusen´s hunger can help them overcome Arsenal

Bayer Leverkusen intend to show Arsenal exactly what they are made of in their Champions League last 16 second leg at Emirates Stadium, so says Kasper Hjulmand.

The contest is finely poised at 1-1 following the first leg after Kai Havertz’s 89th-minute penalty cancelled out Robert Andrich’s header.

Leverkusen drew with Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich on Saturday, and though they have confidence, the odds are stacked against the German club ahead of their trip to the Emirates.

The Werkself have lost eight of their 11 away games against English sides in the Champions League, though they have won two of their three most recent trips (L1).

Opta’s supercomputer has given Hjulmand’s side just a 21% chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the competition, the sixth-lowest probability of all 16 teams.

Hjulmand, however, remained optimistic about his team’s chances, telling reporters: “We expect a very close game. In the first leg, we didn’t give them much of a chance.

“We’ll try to be just as dominant the second time around. We’re confident we can win here and that we can advance in this competition.

“Arsenal are a very good team – it’s very difficult to throw them off balance. We’re here to compete – we’re here to see if we can win the game. Let’s show who we are.

“We weren’t satisfied after Arsenal, and we weren’t satisfied after Bayern. We should have won. This hunger sets a benchmark for our level – we have to orient ourselves to that.”

We are SO ready! pic.twitter.com/pEGHlOsX5q

— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) March 16, 2026

Leverkusen have already put together some impressive away performances against top opposition in Europe, downing both Benfica and Manchester City in the league phase.

However, they are coming up against an Arsenal side who have progressed from 17 of their 20 two-legged knockout stage ties in major European competition.

The Gunners have also won 13 of their 16 home games under Mikel Arteta in the Champions League (D2 L1), with their only defeat coming in last season’s semi-finals against eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain (0-1 in April 2025).

“We’re looking forward to this energy in the stadium. We love away games like this in the stadium,” Hjulmand added.

“There are very few moments when you can take advantage of that, and then you have to be there. We try to be as dominant as possible.”

Hjulmand’s comments were echoed by midfielder Exequiel Palacios, who is hoping to have an impact on proceedings on Tuesday.

“It will be a different game [to the first leg], but we have belief in ourselves and in our game,” Palacios added.

“I always try to contribute with my passion and energy to ensure that we, as a team and as a club, keep progressing.”