(Bayer Leverkusen–AS Roma 2–2, aggregate 4–2) A strange own goal by Roma’s Gianluca Mancini and then Josip Stanisic’s goal sent Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen into the Europa League final against Atalanta.
Thursday 9 May at 23:10
Bayer Leverkusen thus still has a perfect season – 49 games without defeat. Specifically, the team has not lost since May 27, 2023. That is 348 days ago.
49 matches is a new record in European club football – one match better than Benfica from 1963-1965.
Leverkusen has a total of 40 wins and nine draws in all competitions in 2023/2024.
– Unlucky goalkeeping, says Viaplay expert Lars Tjærnås after Leverkusen’s goal reduced to 1-2 – which saved the final place.
Mile Svilar, who had been fantastic in the AS Roma goal, completely missed a corner kick. The ball thus hit Gianluca Mancini, who nodded the ball “perfectly” into his own goal.
Bayer Leverkusen won 2–0 in Rome and perhaps felt a little too confident?
In any case, it was the players from “The Eternal City” who took the lead and just before the break it was 1-0 to Rome when Jonathan Tah incurred a penalty. Leandro Paredes scored from the 11-meter mark.
Before that, Bayer Leverkusen had been the best, but Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar played big.
After just over an hour of play, AS Roma received a penalty for handball, and Leandro Paredes scored another penalty kick. 2–0, and they were the same distance.
In the 82nd minute, Leverkusen’s reduction came which could have been decisive, but then Stanisic equalized just as easily to make it 2-2 three minutes into overtime.
Atalanta (who beat Liverpool) and Marseille played 1-1 at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille a week ago. On Thursday, Ademola Lookman sent Atalanta into a 2-1 lead after half an hour of play, and Matteo Ruggeri made it 2-0 early in the second half. Then it was 3–0 at El Bilal Toure and a total of 4–1.
Thus, it will be Atalanta against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final in Dublin on 22 May.
On Wednesday, Fiorentina reached the Conference League final when they beat Club Brügge 4-3 on aggregate.
Olympiakos won 4–2 over Aston Villa in the first leg and followed it up by winning 2–0 on Thursday and 6–2 on aggregate. Ayoub El Kaabi followed up his hat-trick at home with two goals as Olympiakos also won the second leg.
So it will be Fiorentina-Olympiakos in the final in Athens on 29 May.
