inexplicable! Leverkusen seeks a draw, remains unbeaten, and reaches the Europa League final

It is impossible to explain the mental strength and workload Bayer Leverkusen has brought to bear this season. After 48 matches without defeat, then with 40 victories and eight draws, the team lost on Thursday (9) to Roma with a score of 2-0 until the 31st minute of the second half, a result that led to the semi-finals of the Champions League. European League For extra time because the Germans won the first leg 2 to 0. But we can never doubt Xabi Alonso’s team in 2023/24. The team reduced the deficit with a strange Mancini own goal, and in the last minute of stoppage time, the team sought to achieve an equalizer that confirms the longest unbeaten streak in the history of European football.

It’s a recurring text this season. Aspirinas’ goals put the club in 24th place after 30 minutes in the entire 23/24. unbelievable. The second final is for the team that will also play the final German Cup.

It couldn’t have been more painful for Roma, as the score was 2-0 thanks to two penalty kicks scored by Leandro Paredes. In the 31st minute of the final stage, a corner kick in the middle of the area reached Serbian goalkeeper Mile Svilar, on a wonderful day, who was touched by his teammate Chris Smalling and fell. Without waiting, defender Gianluca Mancini saw the ball hit him and enter the goal. Daniele De Rossi’s team was unable to respond. Svilar even recovered in the sequence by preventing Frimpong’s one-on-one goal, but he was unable to stop Josip Stanisic in the 52nd minute, so he broke into the area and shot the ball.

Leverkusen will play the Europa League final against Atalanta on May 24 at the Dublin Arena in Ireland. This is the first European final for the Aspirinas since 2002, when they lost Champions League to real madrid. It is worth noting that they were already champions of the second European competition in 1988, still the UEFA Cup, over Espanyol.

Roma goalkeeper closes the goal in the first half

What a game the first 45 minutes were. Roma, who needed two goals, started better, had more possession and controlled the game. The team almost opened the scoring after only three minutes, when Romelu Lukaku found himself in front of the goal after a perfect throw from captain Lorenzo Pellegrini. However, the Belgian’s chest control slipped slightly and Matej Kovar advanced from goal. The Czech goalkeeper would also work at 15, when Pellegrini headed the ball alone inside the area. Fortunately, the finishing was weak and defending was not the most difficult. Incredibly, the goal Paredes scored did not happen at this moment in the Italians’ rise. In fact, after that things changed for the homeowners.

The injury to Leonardo Spinazzola at the age of 20, combined with the general confusion over Jeremy Frimpong’s lack of fair play, seems to have hit Roma and woke up the opposition. Since then, Leverkusen has crushed its opponent, controlling the ball and stifling the exit, as in the best moments of the season.

Especially from outside the region, there were many opportunities. The most amazing thing came without training. Exequiel Palacios received it from distance and fired a low cross. The ball exploded off the post, touched Mile Svilar’s back and almost headed towards the goal. Not only the full-back, but the hands of the Serbian goalkeeper were also important: they prevented a beautiful shot from Frimpong from becoming a goal, and stopped Amine Adly and Adam Hlucek twice in a row, who were already suffering from the tackles of the Serbian national team. Roman archer from before. A real wall at BayArena.

In this scenario of carnage and suffocation, Roma were awarded the penalty, after Jonathan Tah leveled over Sardar Azmoun, and Paredes converted it in the middle of the goal in the 42nd minute.

Leo! Dagi Roma! Dggeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee this#Bayer_Roma 0-1 pic.twitter.com/JDaVADD57p

– FC Roma (@OfficialASRoma) May 9, 2024

The second half starts with Roma better and ends with everything

Leverkusen continued the ball and tried to attack more, as happened in the first half, but Roma came back to change things. More seriously, he was awarded the penalty kick for another bizarre foul. This time, after a corner kick at the first post, Hlozek left his arm open and the ball hit there. With the help of VAR, a penalty was awarded and Paredes scored again, this time with a low cross.

Leverkusen took some time to get back into the game. He looked frustrated and created little, sort of batting and accepting the extension that would come. So, thanks to the changes and the strange own goal, the match scenario became appropriate. The equalizer could have come early, as Frimpong tried to kick the ball to Svilar in the 43rd minute, and Patrik Schick also had a chance when the goalkeeper was off target, but the ball from midfield went wide.