Shkodran Mustafi believes that whilst Arsenal are the favourites in their upcoming Champions League tie, they can’t afford to underestimate Bayer Leverkusen.
Former Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi spoke to Bild this week about the Gunners’ upcoming Champions League tie against Bayer Leverkusen.
Though the 33-year-old argued that Arsenal are the favourites to progress, he warned that the team can’t afford to take it easy against the Bundesliga side.
“Arsenal are the favorites, but they’re facing a tough opponent,” Mustafi said. “Leverkusen have reached the Champions League round of 16 and have the quality to hurt any team.
“Mikel Arteta has worked for years to bring the team to this level. However, Arsenal can only be successful if they take every opponent seriously.
“[Leverkusen’s win over Manchester City] made an impression in England and is likely to be a topic of discussion at Arsenal as well.”
As Mustafi points out, Leverkusen have already beaten Manchester City 2-0 this season, and they also secured a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United. Arsenal would be foolish to assume they’ll walk to victory when their fellow Premier League sides didn’t.
Leverkusen have also been strong at the back in recent Champions League appearances, keeping clean sheets in five of their last seven games. The Gunners might find it difficult to create chances if they’re not at their best.
Mustafi believes Declan Rice will be pivotal to Arsenal’s success or failure, naming the midfielder as Mikel Arteta’s key man.
“It’s difficult to single out one player from this squad. But in my opinion, Declan Rice is currently the most important player,” Mustafi said. “He combines defense and attack.”
Arsenal play the first leg of the Champions League last-16 semi-final away in Germany on Wednesday night, before returning to the Emirates Stadium for the second leg the following Tuesday.
A positive result in Leverkusen would certainly provide plenty of reason for optimism ahead of the home leg, so Arteta’s side need to be focused and ready for the fight tomorrow.