Bayer Leverkusen Seize Control with 2-0 Victory in Europa League Semi-Final First Leg Against Roma
- Bayer Leverkusen takes a commanding lead in the Europa League semi-final after securing a 2-0 victory over Roma in the first leg. The German side’s impressive performance puts them in a favourable position heading into the second leg.
With a 2-0 first-leg win against Roma, Bayer Leverkusen took control of their Europa League semifinal.
With goals from Robert Andrich and Florian Wirtz, the Bundesliga champions won just their second game in Italy.
Romelu Lukaku, Roma’s striker, was a lone figure, managing just two shots on goal before being substituted after 80 minutes.
Tammy Abraham, the stand-in, missed a fantastic opportunity to cut the stoppage time arrears.
Leverkusen broke the scoreless first thirty minutes when full-back Alex Grimaldo pounced on a misdirected backpass and set up midfielder Wirtz for his 18th goal of the year.
Roma, the hosts, responded with a barrage of opportunities, but they were unable to find a way to draw even before halftime.
Then, halfway through the second half, midfielder Andrich increased Leverkusen’s lead with a long-range shot into the top-left corner.
With the win, Xabi Alonso’s team’s winning streak across all competitions now stands at 47 games.
Atalanta and Marseille’s first leg of the semi-final concluded at the Stade Velodrome with a score of 1-1.
After 11 minutes, the visitors took the lead thanks to a goal from forward Gianluca Scamacca, and nine minutes later, defender Chancel Mbemba levelled with a long-range effort.
The tie is still in the balance before the second leg in Bergamo next week because both teams squandered more opportunities.
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