Bayer Leverkusen advances to the UEFA Europa League final while maintaining their unbeaten record with a comprehensive 4-2 victory over AS Roma.
On May 9th, Bayer Leverkusen staged an impressive comeback late in the match to advance to the Europa League final with a 2-2 draw at home against AS Roma. They won 4-2 overall and continued to establish their unbeaten streak. Let's take a look back at the challenging journey of Xabi Alonso's team.
Overcoming difficulties against Qarabag
Leverkusen faced a tough challenge to secure a draw against Qarabag in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16. Xabi Alonso's players started the match very unsettled, unexpectedly falling behind 2-0 in the first half. In the second half, Leverkusen rallied strongly. In the 70th minute, Wirtz executed a superb lob to beat the opposing goalkeeper, pulling one back for the German team.
In the final minutes of injury time, Andrich delivered an excellent cross into the box. Schick received the ball and headed it past goalkeeper Andrey Lunev. The score remained 2-2.
In the second leg, the scenario from the first leg repeated itself as Qarabag once again took the lead, leading Leverkusen 2-0 but failing to preserve the advantage. Patrik Schick played the hero by scoring two consecutive goals for the home team in the final minutes of injury time. As both clubs were considering extra time in case of a draw, everything ended sweetly for Bayer as Patrik Schick struck again to secure a 3-2 win for the German club.
The overall score after two legs was 5-4. Bayer fans once again erupted in emotion as they witnessed their team's epic comeback.
[caption id="attachment_5234" align="alignnone" width="600"] Bayer started somewhat challenging but still managed to maintain their unbeaten record[/caption]
Almost dropping their unbeaten record against opponents from England in the quarter-finals
Bayer Leverkusen ended the first leg of the quarter-finals with a 2-0 lead against West Ham. Xabi Alonso's squad gained the upper hand after substitute players Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface scored late goals in the 83rd and 91st minutes.
In the second leg, Michail Antonio's header in the 13th minute at the London Stadium ignited hopes for advancement for the English team. However, despite dominating the opening minutes, West Ham couldn't breach Leverkusen's defense again.
After missing a golden opportunity just minutes earlier, Frimpong scored an emotional goal. The young German player's long-range shot deflected off a West Ham player, deflecting the goalkeeper's judgment and sealing the deal for Bayer's comeback. The overall score after two legs was 3-1 for Alonso's squad.
[caption id="attachment_5236" align="alignnone" width="600"] Frimpong's precious goal helps Bayer advance[/caption]
Escaping defeat against Roma in the semi-finals
Leading 2-0 in the first leg in Rome, Leverkusen entered the second leg with a controlled possession game in the first half. Despite Leverkusen's pressure, Roma took the lead with two penalties from Paredes in the 43rd and 66th minutes.
In the 82nd minute, the match began to balance out for Leverkusen as Roma defender Gianluca Mancini scored an own goal from a corner kick by the German club.
[caption id="attachment_5233" align="alignnone" width="600"] Xabi Alonso's squad struggled to overcome Roma[/caption]
Substitute player Josip Stanisic then secured Leverkusen's place in the final with a stoppage-time equalizer. The disappointed away team exited the season with an overall score of 4-2 in favor of Xabi Alonso's team.
Outstanding players of Leverkusen
Granit Xhaka
The Swiss midfielder commanded the midfield well and played 10 matches in the Europa League. Although he didn't score any goals, he contributed with 2 assists and an impressive passing accuracy of 93.2%. Coach Alonso continued to place his trust in him, starting him in most of Bayer's matches this season.
[caption id="attachment_5232" align="alignnone" width="600"] Xhaka's experience somewhat helped the club reach the final[/caption]
Frimpong
In the quarter-final match against West Ham, Bayer nearly failed to protect their impressive unbeaten record, but fans could sleep well thanks to Jeremie Frimpong's late equalizer, extending Leverkusen's unbeaten streak to 44 matches. The German player's goal in the second leg also dashed West Ham's hopes of a comeback.
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