Xabi's Leverkusen will play the semi-final with De Rossi's Roma | Soccer | Sports | EUROtoday

Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen added one other recreation with out shedding within the lengthy unbeaten sequence (44) that they’ve recorded since August, and which is already a report, because it surpasses the 43 video games that Juventus remained unbeaten in 2012. After profitable 2- 0 within the first leg, the brand new Bundesliga champions drew 1-1 with West Ham in London and certified for the Europa League semi-finals. In that occasion, the Roma of Daniele de Rossi awaits him, one other former midfielder with world champion stripes who makes his debut on the bench amidst the final enthusiasm of the Roma.

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Fabianski, Zouma, Coufal (83 minutes), Naif Aguerd (Ogbonna (47 minutes), Cresswell, Ward-Prowse, Jarrod Bowen, Edson Alvarez (Cornet (84 minutes), Tomas Soucek, Mohammed Kudus and Michail Anthony

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Matej Kovar, Jonathan Tah, Kouakou Odilon Kossounou (Edmond Faycial Tapsoba, min. 28), Piero Hincapie Reyna, Xhaka, Grimaldo (Amine Adli, min. 68), Exequiel Palacios, Josip Stanisic, Florian Wirtz (Robert Andrich, min. 87 ), Schick (Victor Okoh Boniface, min. 45) and Nathan Tella (Jeremie Frimpong, min. 45)

Goals 1-0 min. 13: Michael Antonio. 1-1 min. 88: Jeremy Frimpong.

Referee José María Sánchez Martínez

Yellow playing cards Kouakou Odilon Kossounou (min. 5), Jonathan Tah (min. 31), Jarrod Bowen (min. 71), Coufal (min. 79), Exequiel Palacios (min. 85), Matej Kovar (min. 86) and Amine Adli (min. 89)

There isn’t any scarcity of representatives from the guild of prospectors from the big consultancies who place the West Ham squad among the many fifteen strongest in Europe. The weighting is debated. But it’s a proven fact that the London membership, eighth within the Premier League, has invested greater than 350 million euros in gamers within the final two seasons. Men like Antonio, Kudus, Paquetá, Ward-Prowse and Bowen give him a drive that they by no means confirmed within the first leg in Leverkusen. The 2-0 didn’t make us take into consideration the storm that was hanging over Leverkusen within the second leg. But final week's hypothesis and low block gave method to a splendid metamorphosis. A change that exposed the inexplicable speculative vocation of David Moyes, the coach. One assault sign was sufficient for his gamers to topic Xabi Alonso's group – some 100 million euros invested in signings from 2022 – to one of the crucial suffocating harassment that he has skilled this season.

Kovar's objective suffered as much as ten pictures within the first half of the sport. With Xhaka and Palacios below strain, the visiting centre-backs discovered themselves with out help and in hassle to play. They threw lengthy. The ball ended up within the palms of Zouma and Soucek, and on their return, Antonio, Kudus and Ward Prowse intimidated the opposing defenders in every aerial duel. Xabi watched the spectacle with concern. His group was shedding management. He couldn’t advance to the other subject and when he utilized the strain he did so so timidly that the rivals at all times went the place they needed. The disaster introduced a laboratory to measure the capability of Florian Wirtz, the rising star of German soccer, in conditions of most psychological and cardio demand. Wirtz got here out badly. Smothered by the urgency with which the sport demanded of him on all fronts, he ended up operating on the incorrect time, behind the performs, outmatched.

Each cross into the Leverkusen space precipitated confusion. A dangling ball from Bowen resulted in Antonio's header, the winner over Kovar's false begin and Kossounou's marking. The 1-0 surprised Xabi's gamers, overwhelmed by the West Ham gamers within the bodily distinction. There had been clashes. The benches tensed. Antonio confronted Tah. In no space did the hole open as a lot as on the border that separated the Ivorian Kossounou from the Ghanaian Kudus. A mini African Cup concentrated in 40 sq. meters that ended with the Leverkusen defender going loopy on the wing. Xabi had no selection however to exchange the defender with Tapsoba earlier than the break. It was balsamic.

Atalanta-Marseille

The strong Tapsoba introduced order to his space and below that premise Leverkusen stabilized. The midfielders started to obtain balls with time, Palacios calmed down, Wirtz participated a bit of extra, and West Ham stopped taking management. Little by little, Xhaka and his teammates managed to decrease the center fee of the sport. Defending themselves with the ball, they took the English group the place they needed. Frimpong scored the tying objective on the buzzer.

Leverkusen will meet Daniele de Rossi's Roma within the semi-finals, who beat Milan 3-1 on combination. The different semifinal will pit Atalanta, who beat Liverpool (3-1), towards Marseille, who beat Benfica within the penalty shootout on the Velodrome.

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