Leverkusen Advances to the Europa League Final After a Draw

German Leverkusen will be able to add another prestigious trophy after winning the domestic title. Xabi Alonso’s men drew 2:2 in the second leg of the Europa League semi-final and, thanks to the opening victory (2:0), advance to the final of the competition. In it, Adam Hložek, Patrik Schick and Matěj Kovář will face Italy’s Atalanta Bergamo, which eliminated Marseille (3:0). 

Bayer will compete for the trophy on May 22 in Dublin with Bergamo, who beat Marseille 3-0 at home after last week’s 1-1 draw.

Leverkusen can win a second European trophy, in 1988 they won the then UEFA Cup. Hložek, Kovář and Schick followed up with goalkeeper Tomáš Vaclík, who, as the last Czech until now, watched his Sevilla win over Inter Milan from the bench four years ago in the Europa League final.

Leverkusen Advances to the Europa League Final After a Draw.

Leverkusen had more of the game, in the best chances of the first half, but after half an hour Palacios hit the post and Hložek in the 39th minute sent a volley from close range only to the lying goalkeeper Svilar. Soon came a penalty on the other side.

The active Hložek also had one of the chances, but today he did not follow up on the three assists from Sunday’s league duel in Frankfurt. On the contrary, in the 63rd minute, after a corner kick, he played with his hand in his own goal and Paredes leveled the score from the second penalty.

With 15 minutes remaining, Hložka was replaced by Schick at the point of attack, and in the 82nd minute he made a mistake at the decisive moment of the match. Goalkeeper Svilar, after a fight with the Czech striker, jumped up from a corner kick and the surprised stopper Mancini knocked the ball into his own net. From the last action of the match, Stanišič also extended Leverkusen’s unbeaten streak after a break.

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Bayer returned AS last year’s elimination in the semi-finals of the competition and continues to hold the chance to win three trophies in the season. In addition, in the 52nd minute, the English striker hit the ball to Ruggeri, who added the second goal with an uncompromising shot under the crossbar.

Marseille was unable to respond, substitute Touré added a safety in the set-up. In two weeks in the Irish capital, Atalanta can win only the second trophy in the club’s history, having only won the Italian Cup in the 1962/63 season.