{"id":1703,"date":"2026-02-28T00:08:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T00:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news678.top\/?p=1703"},"modified":"2026-02-28T00:08:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T00:08:10","slug":"bayer-leverkusen-chief-makes-arsenal-favourites-claim-after-champions-league-draw-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=1703","title":{"rendered":"Bayer Leverkusen chief makes Arsenal ‘favourites’ claim after Champions League draw | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Simon Rolfes says he is \u2018delighted\u2019 with getting Arsenal in the Champions League draw (Bayer Leverkusen)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes believes Arsenal should be considered the favourites to win both the Premier League and Champions League this season.<\/p>\n

Leverkusen were paired with Arsenal for the last-16 stage in Friday\u2019s Champions League draw, with the winner due to play either Bodo\/Glimt or Sporting CP in the quarter final.<\/p>\n

Arsenal finished top of the Champions League league phase and were the only team to win all eight of their matches, while Mikel Arteta\u2019s side currently sit five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.<\/p>\n

\u2018I was delighted with the draw,\u2019 Rolfes said.<\/p>\n

\u2018From a sporting perspective, both are obviously top opponents, but firstly, we\u2019re facing two of our former players in Kai Havertz and Piero Hincapie, and secondly, we\u2019re playing internationally. That\u2019s what you compete for in the Champions League.<\/p>\n

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The Champions League brackets in full (Click image to expand)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018They [Arsenal] have an extremely good squad with a lot of physical but also technical quality, pace very well-coordinated and organised.<\/p>\n

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\u2018They\u2019ve actually developed their style of play a little better every season over the last few years, which is why they\u2019re among the top favourite in the Champions League but also the Premier League.<\/p>\n

\u2018They\u2019re a top opponent but it\u2019s also fun to compete against such players.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Kai Havertz will be up against his former club Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League last 16 (Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Champions League tie will also see both Kai Havertz and Piero Hincapie, who joined Arsenal on loan last summer, face their former club.<\/p>\n

\u2018Yes, we are in contact sometimes, I\u2019ve already texted him so I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll need a lot of tickets as he comes from here, so there will certainly be contact,\u2019 Rolfes said of a potential reunion with Havertz.<\/p>\n

\u2018And then it\u2019s also nice when he went to Chelsea during Covid, it was a big farewell for us, the whole transfer was the basis for the next few years and he really left something here.<\/p>\n

\u2018Because of Covid there was never the environment, the opportunity to say goodbye to him, even if we saw each other afterwards. But now I think it\u2019s a very special setting for him to come back to the BayArena and for Piero [Hincapie] too, of course. He\u2019s still officially our player and is only on loan at the moment but it will come to the transfer and I think for Piero it\u2019s just as special too.\u2019<\/p>\n

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