Bayer Leverkusen – AS Roma: Leverkusen’s Latest Comeback Ensures Safe Passage To Finals (2-2)

Bayer Leverkusen had a two goal cushion coming into the second leg, but they found themselves pegged back despite dominating proceedings, as AS Roma scored twice. Daniele De Rossi did implement some effective changes to aid that, but by now, it seems inevitable what Leverkusen will do after conceding. Two goals in the final ten minutes meant that Alonso’s men not only booked their place in the Europa League finals but also extended their impressive unbeaten run.

Tactical analysis and match report by Rahul Madhavan.

The first leg between these teams remained evenly poised for the opening half-hour, but thereafter, Bayer Leverkusen asserted their dominance all over the pitch. AS Roma appeared to be caged, with their closest opportunity to trouble Leverkusen’s goal materializing late in the game when Daniele De Rossi threw the kitchen sink.

While Leverkusen held the advantage, a two-goal lead is always a danger in this sport. Xabi Alonso’s side displayed a degree of pragmatism in the away leg, but they have been dominant on their home turf, notably warming up for this game with a 5-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. In the broader context, Leverkusen’s pursuit of a treble wasn’t solely about winning trophies; it represented an opportunity to etch their names into history by achieving invincibility across all competitions.

Alonso made a few changes from the first leg, the most notable of which was naming Florian Wirtz on the bench despite resting him against Frankfurt. Adam Hložek, Amine Aldi, and Jonas Hofmann played as the front three, while Exequiel Palacios replaced Robert Andrcich in the midfield pivot . . .

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