Bayer Leverkusen kept their invincible dream alive after coming from behind to draw with AS Roma in the Europa League.
Bayer Leverkusen staged a remarkable late comeback to move into the Europa League final with a 2-2 draw at home to AS Roma on Thursday as they won 4-2 on aggregate and set the longest unbeaten run in all competitions including European matches.
Match highlight and goals
Down 2-0 from the first leg, two Leandro Paredes penalties levelled things up for the Italians but an own goal from Gianluca Mancini and Josip Stanisic’s stoppage-time equaliser not only sent Leverkusen through but maintained a 49 game unbeaten run.
AS Roma was awarded a penalty in the 43rd minute, and Paredes took it to make it 1-0 for his team. The former Boca Juniors player kicked the ball to the center of the goal, while the goalkeeper dived to his right. The Italian team was awarded a second penalty in the 66th minute after a handball inside the box, and again Paredes took the responsibility. This time the 29 year old Argentine shot a powerful low shot to the left, while the goalkeeper dove to the other side, making it 2-0 for AS Roma.
For Bayern Leverkusen, Exequiel Palacios played the whole game. The German team drew level in the last minutes of the match. However, a devastating own goal from in the 82nd minute Gianluca Mancini and last-gasp strike from Josip Stanisic in 90+7th minute ensured that Xabi Alonso’s men would scrap with Atalanta BC. They also prolonged their phenomenal unbeaten run into record-breaking territory.
Paulo Dybala remained on the bench the whole game as AS Roma’s coach Daniele De Rossi stated before the match that the Argentine was “experiencing a discomfort.”
Player of the match
Mile Svilar won the title of the player of the match. The Slovenian made an incredible 12 saves in total – including an emphatic double save – and kept Roma in the game for so long as Leverkusen battered the defence at times, but just could not find a way past the in-form shot-stopper. It did not end well for the Roma goalkeeper and he made a crucial error which led to Mancini’s own goal, but he did absolutely everything in his power to prevent Leverkusen from scoring and he came close to succeeding while making some extraordinary saves along the way.
Exequiel Palacios’ Bayern Leverkusen will face Juan Musso’s Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin on May 22.
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