BAYER LEVERKUSEN – ROMA 2–2 (4-2 AGGREGATE):
Before Thursday’s second leg in the semi-finals of the Europa League, Bayer Leverkusen had gone through the entire season without a loss, i.e. 48 games in a row.
The incredible streak looked set to end against Roma, but once again Bayer Leverkusen managed to avoid defeat at the last second.
Xabi Alonso’s men have now played 49 games in a row without defeat, which is a new record. That’s one game better than Benfica from 1963-1965.
– The perfect season lives on for Bayer Leverkusen. What a team they have. What a season! exclaimed Viaplay commentator Eivind Bisgaard Sundet when Josip Stanisic made it 2-2 seven minutes into extra time.
It looked ugly for a long time for Leverkusen in terms of both reaching the Europa League final and keeping the streak of unbeaten matches.
Roma led 2–0, which meant it was 2–2 on aggregate. But in the 82nd minute, Gianluca Mancini scored a strange own goal for Roma.
Thus, Leverkusen were in the lead overall, but they were still in danger of losing the match itself. Seven minutes into overtime, Stanisic appeared and scored to make it 2-2.
– The flow zone of the times. It is impossible to make mistakes. A wonder, again! said Bisgaard Sundet.
Thus, Bayer Leverkusen is still unbeaten this season and ready for the Europa League final.
There they meet Atalanta, after they beat Marseille 4–1 on aggregate in the second semi-final.