Bayer Leverkusen is in the final of the Europa League. Bayer equalized on Thursday evening (05/09/24) through Josip Stanisic, after Rome had previously scored two goals from penalties. Bayer once again avoided their first defeat of the season in injury time.
The guests took the lead thanks to a penalty from Leandro Paredes (43′). The Argentine also converted the second penalty, which was whistled for handball (66′). In the final phase of the game, Roman captain Gianluca Mancini directed an extended corner into his own goal (82′). Josip Stanisic scored the final point in the seventh minute of stoppage time. The Rhine team will face Atalanta Bergamo in Dublin on May 22nd, who also defeated Olympique Marseille 3-0 (1-0).
“It’s always the same in football: If you don’t score at the front, you’ll get the goals at the back,” said Granit Xhaka after the game. “Rome is a big team, but over two games we were the better team. It was an incredible performance, the mentality, the will. We absolutely didn’t want to lose.”
Alonso starts without Wirtz and Andrich
Without Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich in the starting lineup, master coach Xabi Alonso’s team went into the game against the Italians highly motivated and focused. Nevertheless, the guests got into the game better and quickly created their first chance of the game. Lorenzo Pellegrini sent Romelu Lukaku with a long ball towards the Leverkusen goal, but the Belgian’s attempt to receive the ball with his chest failed, allowing Matěj Kovář to intervene in the Leverkusen box (4th).
Then Granit Xhaka took the initiative. But Adam Hlozek, who was played by the Swiss, was blocked twice (7th, 11th), and once a shot from Xhaka went well over the Roman goal (9th). A good attempt from Ezequiel Palacios (16th) and again Hlozek (25th) were parried by Mile Svilar, the Italian goalkeeper. Palacios almost succeeded when a long-range shot hit the post and then hit Svilar’s back – and didn’t find its way over the goal line (29th). And Svilar showed his outstanding class when he cleared twice against a powerful shot from Amine Adli and the follow-up shot from Hlozek.
Suddenly a penalty
Chances upon chances for Bayer, the goal shooting ratio at this point was 17:4 for Leverkusen. But when the Dutch referee Danny Makkelie awarded Rome a penalty, the game was virtually turned on its head: Jonathan Tah and his actual club colleague Sardar Azmoun, who had been loaned out to Rome, held on to each other as Azmoun ran into the Leverkusen penalty area. The now-Roman released his grip more quickly and fell – Tah saw yellow, Paredes bravely sank the penalty in the middle.
Half two: Leverkusen engaged again
Bayer started the second period unchanged and continued where they left off in the first period. But Alex Grimaldo (47th) and especially Adli (54th) and again Hlozek (60th) did not finish successfully.
There was once again a penalty on the other side: after a corner, the ball sailed into Hlozek’s hand, who had held it protectively at the level of his head. After protests from the Romans and studying the TV images, the referee again decided on a penalty – again the Argentine Paredes converted safely, this time down the left. And the first leg result was equalized – the spectators were horrified.
74th minute: Schick comes
Xavi Alonso only sent his first fresh player into the race in the 74th minute: Patrik Schick, the specialist for late goals in 2024. And indeed: there was another late goal, but it was the third Roman goal of the evening. Jeremie Frimpong won a corner with an explosive start. The ball sailed into the penalty area from the right, was extended and bounced into the goal from the completely surprised Mancini. Shortly before, Florian Wirtz had come on as a substitute.
It was Leverkusen’s 17th goal this season, which came in stoppage time. Substitute Josip Stanisic saved Leverkusen’s unbeaten streak this season with a determined attack from the right and a powerful shot into the far corner.
Bayer is still on course for a triple after winning the championship.
