Later success over West Ham Bayer Leverkusen runs desperately, then Alonso’s joker pricks
April 11, 2024, 10:51 p.m
West Ham’s bulwark will last a long time in the quarter-finals of the Europa League against Bayer Leverkusen. The Bundesliga table leader struggles for a long time until coach Xabi Alonso reacts. His two jokers decide the game and bring about the decisive turning point. In the end there is a 2-0 win after the first leg.
Xabi Alonso and his super jokers celebrated in front of the fan curve, after a deserved victory in the quarter-final first leg of the Europa League, Bayer Leverkusen’s dream of a treble is alive. After a 2-0 (0-0) win against West Ham United, the designated champions have their sights firmly set on the semi-finals – and on Sunday the Werkself want to secure the first championship in the club’s history ahead of schedule.
Coach Alonso made the decision with his changes: The jokers Jonas Hofmann (83rd) and Victor Boniface (90th + 1) shot Bayer to a deserved victory against West Ham. “I got goosebumps when the fans sang,” said Hofmann full of anticipation on RTL: “It means everything to be able to hold up the trophy at the end of the season. That’s the moment when tears might flow, it just overwhelms you you give free rein to your emotions.”
Bayer remained undefeated in their 42nd competitive game this season and could reach the European semi-finals for the second time in a row next Thursday in London. After the painful exit against AS Roma last year, the big goal is the final in Dublin on May 22nd – a few days before the already determined DFB Cup final against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in Berlin (May 25th) and after the possible handover of the Cup on the last matchday against FC Augsburg (May 18th).
“The Power of Europe”
Alonso wasn’t at all interested in the mental balancing act between the triple mission and the championship party in the run-up to the encounter. “We didn’t talk about Friday, Saturday, Sunday. It’s just about West Ham, after that we have enough time for the Bundesliga,” the Basque emphasized – and, unlike in the previous rounds, sent his top eleven into the race.
The fans of last year’s semi-finalists were already getting in the mood for the possible league coronation during the club anthem. “And we will be German champions this year,” it echoed loudly through the sold-out BayArena. The “Vizekusen” image should finally be history. After the extremely lucky last-minute drama in the round of 16 against Qarabağ Ağdam, “the power in Europe” (RTL expert Lothar Matthäus) started with its usual dominant style, with Jonathan Tah as the last man defending up to 25 meters from the opposing goal.
Bayer Leverkusen – West Ham United 2:0 (0:0)
Leverkusen: Kovar – Stanisic (67. Hincapie), Tah, Tapsoba – Palacios, Xhaka – Frimpong (67. Tella), Wirtz, Adli (76. Hofmann), Grimaldo – Schick (76. Boniface). – Trainer: Alonso
West Ham: Fabianski – Mavropanos (87. Johnson), Zouma, Cresswell – Coufal, Soucek, Ward-Prowse, Emerson – Kudus (87. Aguerd), Paqueta – Antonio. – Coach: Moyes
Referee: Artur Dias (Portugal)
Tore: 1:0 Hofmann (83.), 2:0 Boniface (90.+1)
Yellow cards: – Paqueta
Audience: 30,210 (sold out)
The “Hammers” were waiting for a counterattack without their injured star striker Jarod Bowen – and had the first opportunity through the fast Mohammed Kudus (10th). On the other side, Amine Adli (10th), Alejandro Grimaldo (20th) and especially Patrik Schick (30th) and Edmond Tapsoba (34th) tested keeper Lukasz Fabianski – the Pole reacted strongly in each case.
West Ham, who eliminated SC Freiburg in the round of 16, held out with tough British duels. Lucas Paqueta was lucky: after a hard tackle against Adli, the visiting playmaker was shown a yellow card (21st), and just three minutes later he stepped on Florian Wirtz’s foot. Referee Artur Dias (Portugal) left it with a final warning.
It turned out to be an expectedly difficult game for the favorites; after the break, Wirtz and Co. repeatedly got stuck in the disciplined visitors’ defense. Schick failed again due to the outstanding Fabianski (71st) – only substitutes Hofmann and Boniface redeemed Leverkusen.
2024-04-11 20:51:00
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