Rome in the Europa League final, Mourinho’s tactical masterpiece and a great sacrifice in Leverkusen (0-0)

by our correspondent

LEVERKUSEN – After Tirana, Budapest! Three hundred and seventy-eight days after eliminating Leicester in the semifinals of the Conference League, Mourinho’s Roma conceded an encore against Bayer Leverkusen, this time in the Europa League: it will be the final against Sevilla. A triumph of tactics, suffering, sacrifice and heart.

Scoreboard Bayer Leverkusen-Roma, intellectual matic of the ball (7.5), Mancini leader (7), Mourinho leader (8)

A big, immense heart that allowed the Giallorossi to resist the inevitable onslaught of the Germans. But reducing the match to the defense of the fort would not do credit to a team and a coach who have once again been able to reverse all predictions. Because now it’s easy, even for bookmakers, to give Rome the favorite against the Andalusians on May 31st. But the path was tortuous, difficult, 14 games long, 2 more than initially thought. And instead it also took the playoffs to eliminate Salzburg, then Real Sociedad, Feyenoord, until last night when the scalp fell to Xabi Alonso’s Germans. A deserved final to say the least, the second in two years signed by a gentleman from Setubal who changed the recent history of a club not used to winning.

TOO SHORT
It wasn’t easy last night either. Leverkusen starts with their foot on the accelerator pressing high. The defensive line led by Tah even shortens on the median. Xabi Alonso’s team is thus gathered in 25 meters and forces Roma to look for long balls. On one of these Abraham wins the aerial duel with Tapsoba, Pellegrini sends the ball just wide. Roma is there, led by Matic who splits into Wirtz and Demirbay, feet and quality at the service of the Germans. It is precisely the position of the German international that annoys the Giallorossi because Azmoun often retreats in Dzeko style looking for the side either for the number 27 himself or for the right axis made up of the very fast Frimpong and Diaby. In doing so, Roma is called to continually expand and contract, accordion style, expending a lot of energy. And sooner or later the error comes. Luck would have it that following a wrong reading by Ibañez, Diaby spreads too much in the 12th minute and hits the crossbar from an impossible position. However, the alarm bell has sounded. Mou gets up from the bench. He invites his riders to climb, moreover the deployment with the two points had to be preparatory not to transform the race into an assault on Fort Apache. However, Bayer’s pressure is constant: Demirbay engages Rui Patricio in a corner and then in a save on the ground. Roma’s problem is above all in the circulation of the ball. With the exception of Matic, the mistakes are repeated: Belotti does not keep a single ball, Ibañez (with Cristante marked in turn by Wirtz and Azmoun) called to build makes a lot of mistakes, Pellegrini and Bove are absorbed by their respective duties as halfback. And as if that weren’t enough after 32 minutes Spinazzola (muscle) also gets hurt: inside Zalewski.

GINI, THE BALANCER
Mou understands that this can’t go on for long. Because if it is true that Roma have mostly conceded shots from outside, the team is too small and the pressure must be eased with a player capable of holding the ball. Outside Belotti, therefore, it is Wijnaldum’s turn. Pellegrini gets up next to Tammy. José saw us along again. The match changes, now the Giallorossi give the impression of controlling more easily. Also because the Dutchman gives the balance that was missing and Lorenzo withdrawing gives more pass options to his teammates. And he becomes more lucid on set pieces: a fantastic parable for Mancini is deflected with a split by Tah when the Giallorossi bench had already entered the field to celebrate. The minutes run by, Leverkusen raises the engine speed: first Frimpong leaves Zalewski in place but Ibañez is good at closing. Then it was Rui Patricio’s turn to save from a low shot by Demirbay with Mancini avoiding Azmoun’s tap-in. He suffers, it’s inevitable, but always without losing his head. Xabi Alonso moved all-in with Adli for Bakker and Hlozek for Palacios; Mou replies with the returning Smalling. Still thrills for a shot by Tah deflected by Matic and for a turn by Azmoun just wide. But Rome holds. And at Vincic’s final whistle, after the endless 8 minutes of added time, the scream of the 2,000 fans at the Bayarena joins that of those who remained in Italy. Roma are in the Europa League final.