Arsenal rescued a late draw against Bayern Leverkusen after a dramatic 1–1 result in their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg encounter on Wednesday.
The match remained goalless in the first half despite a few attacking chances, with Gabriel Martinelli coming closest for Arsenal after striking the crossbar following a well-worked team move. Both sides played cautiously for much of the opening period, leaving the game finely balanced heading into the break.
Leverkusen took the lead moments after the restart when captain Robert Andrich headed in from a corner just seconds into the second half. The goal briefly put the German side in control as Arsenal struggled to create clear opportunities during much of the second period.
However, Arsenal earned a lifeline late in the match when Noni Madueke was fouled inside the penalty area. After a lengthy VAR review, Kai Havertz calmly converted the resulting penalty in the 88th minute to secure a draw for the English side and leave the tie evenly poised ahead of the return leg in London.
