Bayer Leverkusen’s record unbeaten march continues with a 2-0 win at Roma in Europa League

ROME (AP) — An imposing stadium in a serious international capital did nothing to cease Bayer Leverkusen’s document unbeaten march throughout Europe.

The freshly topped first-time Bundesliga champion silenced the Stadio Olimpico with a 2-0 win at Roma within the first leg of the Europa League semifinals on Thursday to increase its unbeaten streak to 47 matches throughout all competitions.

No membership from Europe’s 5 largest leagues — in Germany, England, Italy, Spain and France — has had an extended unbeaten streak.

“We take issues sport by sport and we aren’t fascinated about being unbeaten,” Leverkusen midfielder Amine Adli mentioned. “We aren’t fascinated about making historical past or issues like that — that’s why we’re taking part in like this and the workforce is powerful. We simply need to take pleasure in ourselves.”

The end result additionally marked a measure of revenge for Leverkusen — since Roma had overwhelmed the German membership on this very same stage final season for its final defeat in Europe.

“We all know it’s not simple to play right here,” Adli mentioned. “We performed a really severe sport.”

Leverkusen’s final loss throughout all competitions was a 3-0 defeat to Bochum within the last spherical of final season’s Bundesliga almost a yr in the past — on Might 27, 2023.

Roma was harmful with an early header off the crossbar from Romelu Lukaku. However then Leverkusen scored on the counterattack seven minutes later.

A failed again cross from Roma proper again Rick Karsdorp below stress from Alex Grimaldo on the left flank resulted in a 3-on-1 for Leverkusen. Grimaldo then handed to Florian Wirtz, who calmly slotted in from the middle of the world.

Midfielder Robert Andrich added one other aim for Leverkusen within the 73rd with a long-range shot — simply as Roma had been threatening on the opposite finish.

Within the different semifinal, Atalanta drew 1-1 at Marseille.

The second legs will likely be held subsequent Thursday, with the ultimate to be held in Dublin on Might 22.

Leverkusen has gained just one European trophy: the 1988 UEFA Cup, which was then predecessor to the Europa League. Its solely different European last got here within the 2002 Champions League, gained by Actual Madrid.

Roma is aiming to qualify for its third consecutive European last after profitable the Europa Convention League in 2022 and shedding final yr’s Europa League last to Sevilla in a penalty shootout.

Daniele De Rossi changed Jose Mourinho as Roma’s coach in January.

The Giallorossi hadn’t misplaced a European knockout stage sport at residence in seven years — since getting beat 1-0 by Villarreal within the 2017 Europa League.

Roma followers’ pre-match choreography throughout one complete finish of the stadium spelled out the phrase “AVANZIAMO” (“Let’s advance”). However Roma now faces an uphill problem to get rid of Leverkusen, which hasn’t misplaced all season.

MARSEILLE-ATALANTA

Marseille’s gamers have been handled to an ovation at Stade Velodrome from their hard-to-please followers after the draw with Atalanta — which eradicated Liverpool within the quarterfinals.

Atalanta took the lead within the eleventh when striker Gianluca Scamacca hit a low shot into the underside nook after studying Teun Koopmeiners’ intelligent cross.

However Marseille equalized within the twentieth when central defender Chancel Mbemba collected Geoffrey Kondogbia’s cross and his fantastic curling shot from the sting of the penalty space hit the left put up and rolled in.

The second half was nearly fully one-way visitors as Marseille pushed ahead. Winger Ismaïla Sarr had a aim disallowed for an offside following a video evaluate and substitute Azzedine Ounahi hit the crossbar with a curling shot within the 73rd.

EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE

Within the third-tier competitors semifinal first legs, Aston Villa’s hopes of reaching a primary European last since 1982 have been diminished with a 4-2 residence loss to Olympiakos, the primary defeat at Villa Park within the European marketing campaign for the final English membership in European competitions.

Villa got here again from 2-0 down however was not capable of reply Ayoub El Kaabi’s third aim of the sport. The striker transformed from the penalty spot to make it 3-2 for his eighth aim within the competitors this season. Santiago Hezze completed the scoring earlier than Douglas Luiz wasted a penalty for Villa.

Olympiakos is aiming to play on residence soil within the Might 29 last in Athens.

Earlier, El Kaabi scored twice inside a half hour put the guests in cost.

In Florence, substitute M’Bala Nzola netted in stoppage time for last-year’s runner-up Fiorentina to safe a 3-2 victory over 10-man Membership Brugge.

Brugge’s Raphael Onyedika was despatched off after receiving his second yellow card on the hour when the Italian membership was 2-1 up however the guests equalized by way of Igor Thiago to finish a counter simply minutes later.

Riccardo Sottil put Fiorentina forward early on, Brugge captain Hans Vanaken answered with an equalizer from the penalty spot after which Andrea Belotti restored the lead for Fiorentina on a rebound.

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AP Sports activities Writers Jerome Pugmire in Paris and Karel Janicek in Prague contributed to this report.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/Soccer