Late Havertz penalty salvages draw for Arsenal against Bayer Leverkusen

[p]The visitors initially took control of proceedings, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andrich-robert/zDjAwp82/"]Robert Andrich[/a] particularly feeling the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Gunners[/a]’ pressure as he was booked inside two minutes for pulling down [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gyokeres-viktor/zaBZ1xIk/"]Viktor Gyokeres[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kofane-christian-michel/jk7yHyMk/"]Christian Kofane[/a] still caused issues going the other way and helped [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayer-leverkusen/4jcj2zMd/"]Die Werkself[/a] grow into the game, although [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raya-david/nkVV0IXb/"]David Raya[/a] routinely saved the 19-year-old’s speculative shot from range, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maza-ibrahim/zPa6aAD8/"]Ibrahim Maza[/a] fired harmlessly off-target from his lay-off. [/p][p]With things becoming more open, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinelli/dITe5M88/"]Gabriel Martinelli[/a] smashed a shot against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/blaswich-janis/8WPrgkw2/"]Janis Blaswich[/a]’s crossbar at the end of a swift Arsenal move, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gabriel/tEcnVXMS/"]Gabriel Magalhaes[/a] bravely blocked an attempt from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/quansah-jarell/KtIpCeFE/"]Jarell Quansah[/a].[/p][p]Returning to his parent club, Piero Hincapié saw his shot from a tight angle saved, but with so much at stake, there was more of a combative nature to the action rather than a creative spark as the first half progressed. [/p][p]That was epitomised shortly before the break when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palacios-exequiel/xEflXBhr/"]Exequiel Palacios[/a] stopped [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saka-bukayo/08NLEo06/"]Bukayo Saka[/a] in his own box and released Kofane, who was then halted by Gabriel and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saliba-william/EgIM3sB7/"]William Saliba[/a].[/p][embed guid="93a207dc-0211-4562-91a4-fda0fd20e649" url="https://x.com/ChampionsLeague/status/2031807916127477832" social-type="twitter" /][p]Die Werkself’s kick-off routine saw [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/terrier-martin/xlu6948L/"]Martin Terrier[/a]’s header bring a superb save out of Raya, but there was nothing the visiting goalkeeper could do from the ensuing corner as Andrich was afforded the space to head home within a minute of the restart.[/p][p]Hincapié couldn’t find the target with his header from a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rice-declan/zkQ8Cm6n/"]Declan Rice[/a] free-kick on the hour mark, as Arsenal tried to ask more questions with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/madueke-chukwunonso/Ac57P9Pt/"]Noni Madueke[/a] replacing Saka in the aftermath of that attempt.[/p][p]The hosts still looked relatively comfortable for large periods, even when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/timber-jurrien/hSaoLOM4/"]Jurrien Timber[/a] headed over the crossbar.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="d31579ce-272e-4647-84b2-76aba4d5f0c2" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="591384f0-3358-447d-9314-f04136e331df" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]That comfort crumbled, though, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tillman-malik/pGHnblVn/"]Malik Tillman[/a] conceded a penalty when he slid in on Madueke, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/havertz-kai/rH8BZWiI/"]Havertz[/a] duly converted from the spot despite Blaswich diving the right way, levelling the tie against the club he spent a decade with.[/p][p]That moment leaves the tie perfectly poised heading into the second leg, while also forcing Leverkusen to settle for a fourth draw from their last four matches across all competitions and extending Arsenal’s unbeaten run to 12 matches.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palacios-exequiel/xEflXBhr/"]Exequiel Palacios[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayer-leverkusen/4jcj2zMd/"]Bayer Leverkusen[/a])[/b][/p][image alt="Momentum" id="4c134de6-ce6a-48bc-9cd0-17b85ae5d72c" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="27d0d3bb-78ee-4502-b984-40121c9d2976" original-width="1920" original-height="1080" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/arsenal-hA1Zm19f/bayer-leverkusen-4jcj2zMd/summary/stats/?mid=tGEBtHmA"]Catch up on the match stats with Flashscore[/a].[/b][/p]