Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen draw 1-1 in Champions League round of 16 first leg

Arsenal secured a 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie held in Germany. The first half remained scoreless, though Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli hit the crossbar in the 20th minute. Bayer Leverkusen took the lead shortly after halftime when Robert Andrich scored from a header following a corner kick by Alex Grimaldo in the 46th minute. Arsenal equalized in the 89th minute through a Kai Havertz penalty kick. The penalty was awarded following a foul on Noni Madueke. Havertz, who formerly played for the German club, opted not to celebrate his goal. The return leg is scheduled to take place at the Emirates Stadium on March 17 at 22:00. The result leaves the qualification for the quarterfinals open for both teams.