Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen
Two of the greatest Premier League midfielders ever are set to go head-to-head, this time as managers, as Arsenal host Bayer Leverkusen in a Club Friendly this Wednesday.
Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso, and their respective teams are going to convene at the Emirates Stadium in what will likely be a match full of Club Friendly 2024 highlights.
Arsenal are on the back of a 2-1 loss against Liverpool, snapping their three-game undefeated streak in preseason, while Bayer Leverkusen have yet to lose this summer with a 2-1 victory over Essen and a 2-2 draw against Lens.
This preseason match will help gauge the sharpness of both Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen, as both teams look to contend in their domestic leagues this upcoming season.
Arsenal will hope to come out on top once and for all in the Premier League, similar to Bayer Leverkusen last season, when they were carrying the “Neverkusen” label up until they finally won their first-ever Bundesliga in 2023-24.
Talking Points
Will Calafiori make his Arsenal debut?
Riccardo Calafiori took the world by storm after being one of the unexpected stars of Euro 2024 for the Italian national team. Because his stock has risen dramatically, the 22-year-old has attracted suitors, and he eventually chose Arsenal for a £42 million transfer fee.
The addition of Calafiori gives Arsenal’s centre-half depth a huge boost since they now have him, William Saliba, Jakub Kiwior, Jurrien Timber, Ben White, and Gabriel as their top centre-backs for the upcoming season.
Calafiori has yet to play for the Gunners in preseason because he has taken some time off following the Euros. Arsenal fans are hoping to see him make his unofficial debut against Bayer Leverkusen, although he has not been seen in training lately alongside Jurrien Timber.
If Calafiori doesn’t play on Wednesday, then Gabriel and Jakub Kiwior will likely continue to lead Arsenal’s backline alongside Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ben White.
Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also not expected to play on Wednesday, as both are recovering from their injuries.
Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Aaron Ramsdale, William Saliba, and David Raya all returned to London Colney, so expect them to be involved one way or another, but don’t be surprised if not all of them start since Mikel Arteta plans to reintegrate them slowly.
Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Ayden Heaven were given chances to impress Arteta this summer, and they should get more time on Wednesday against Die Werkself.
Bayer Leverkusen’s summer stars might make their preseason debuts
Xabi Alonso is waiting for Jeremi e Frimpong, Alex Grimaldo, and Granit Xhaka to make their returns, as the trio was rested following their participation in the Euros.
Meanwhile, Die Werkself are going to be without Exequiel Palacios, as the influential midfielder is set to miss at least four weeks after going under the knife to fix his injured knee. Fellow midfielder Matija Marsenic is also dealing with a knee injury.
This means that he’ll miss at least the team’s first four games of the season, including the DFL-Supercup against VfB Stuttgart, Carl Zeiss Jena in the DFB-Pokal, and against Borussia Monchengladbach and RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.
Furthermore, Bayer Leverkusen fans can’t wait to see more from their new additions this summer, as Martin Terrier, Aleix Garcia, and Jeanuel Belocian are likely to feature heavily on Wednesday. Terrier adds to their attacking corps, while Garcia and Belocian are additional central midfield options for Alonso.
History
This exhibition game is more than two decades in the making, as Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen last faced off in the 2001-02 Champions League second group stage after taking one of the top two spots in Groups C and F.
Bayer Leverkusen held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw in their first meeting in Germany, while Arsenal won the reverse fixture 4-1 when they were still having their home games in Highbury.
Bayer Leverkusen and Deportivo La Coruna went on to advance to the knockout phase after topping Group D with 10 points each, leaving Arsenal and Juventus in the dust. Die Werkself went all the way to the final, eventually losing 2-1 to Real Madrid.
As the article title indicates, Arsenal are coming off yet another second-place finish in the Premier League, falling short behind Manchester City.
On the other hand, Bayer Leverkusen are fresh from winning their first-ever domestic double after winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in 2023-24 to end their 21-year trophy drought.
The SBOTOP Club Friendly 2024 odds predict a tight matchup between Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen. Overall, we anticipate a high-scoring draw between these two sides.
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