… With Late Comeback Against Roma
AfriqueCAN: 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 www.AfriqueCAN.com
The Bundesliga champions as they won 4-2 on aggregate and set the longest unbeaten run in all competitions including European matches.
Leverkusen were 2-0 down on the night in the 82nd minute when Roma defender Gianluca Mancini put through his own goal before late substitute Joseph Stanisic pulled the hosts level after Leandro Paredes netted two penalties for the visitors.
Bundesliga champions Leverkusen, who have also reached this month’s German Cup final as they chase a treble, played their 49th match without defeat to surpass Benfica’s record set from 1963–65 but they had to battle in the semi-final second leg.
Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen, who have 40 wins in their unbeaten run, face Atalanta in the May 22 final in Dublin after the Italians comfortably got past Olympique Marseille.
It will be a third European final for Leverkusen, who won their only continental title when they lifted the UEFA Cup in 1988 and lost in the 2002 Champions League showpiece.
Leverkusen went into the match with a 2-0 advantage from Rome a week ago with goals by Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich.
The Italians knew they had a mountain to climb after losing the first leg but they remained composed in an evenly contested match in which Leverkusen gradually seized control.