The faith of this Bayer Leverkusen team moves mountains. After 2-2 in the first leg, Qarabag again put them on the limit despite playing to a deficit and two goals in extra time from the Czech Patrick Schick allowed the team Xabi Alonso come back (3-2) and reach the quarterfinals of the Europa League. Moreover, they remain unbeaten in the 37 games they have played since the start of the season.
Xabi Alonso fielded more of the starting eleven in the match than in the first leg, although he was rested Alejandro Grimaldo and, as in Baku, he lined up at the entrance to Borja Iglesias.
Borja Iglesias begins to ‘fire’
Leverkusen started very well and accurately Borja Iglesias had up to four good chances in the first ten minutes of play. The former Espanyol and Betis player started with two headers over the crossbar and followed with a shot that also rose after receiving it in a good position and another blocked by Andrey Lunev.
Leverkusen’s first siege continued but Amine Adli He also missed two shots and from the 20th minute onwards Qarabag found the ball and bravely balanced the game, calling everyone the outstanding leader of the Bundesliga.
Qarabag dynamited the tie
Xabi Alonso’s team is no longer putting together dangerous plays other than a bad move to Lunev intercepted by Jeremie Frimpong, whose touch did not find an unguarded goal.
After the break, Qarabag sealed the tie by advancing on the scoreboard Abdellah Zoubir with a diving header after a cross from Marko Vesovic (59′).
Despite the red, it was 0-2
Xabi Alonso brought on Grimaldo and the retired Borja Iglesias, but the Azerbaijanis’ joy was short-lived, as in the 62nd minute they were left behind after being sent off. Elvin Jafarguliyev with a direct red card, after consulting VAR, after Frimpong was knocked down when he faced the goal. English referee Anthony Taylor was the first to show him a yellow card.
Even in the low, Qarabag did not give up and had the courage to put together a good game from their field that end of Brazilian Juninho, scorer of a goal in the first leg, when another cross from Vesovic crossed the net, author of two assists (67′).
Two assists from Grimaldo
Leverkusen, which, like in Baku, started to lose 2-0, soon returned to the tie. Grimaldo crossed from the left and Frimpong, on the right, put in a cross volley with the inside slipped by the post (72′).
The Germans, in superiority, turned and created one chance after another. Florian Wirtz was not successful today, Grimaldo got it when he finished poorly with his bad leg, the right one, but in the third minute of added time. Another assist was made, this time at the near post, which Patrik Schick deflected into the net placing the right foot.
Schick’s header and the quarterfinals
As on so many other occasions in this historic era, Leverkusen did not settle for extra time, they believed until the end and that faith led again to Schick headed a beautiful cross from Exequiel Palacios at the far post.
match lineup
17
30
3
8
12
6
7
3. 4
9
10
twenty-one
99
29
44
8
13
55
fifteen
6
18
7
10
BayArena
Andrey Lunev99
89′
71′
Marko Vesovic29
86′
59′
Elvin Cafarquliyev44
60′
62′
Marko Jankovic8
Bahlul Mustafazada13
78′
Badavi Huseynov55
27′
Leandro Andradefifteen
77′
Julio Romao6
58′
Juninho18
66′
77′
77′
Yassine Benzia7
65′
Abdellah Zoubir10
57′
85′
Replacements
Luka Gugeshashvili23
Amin Ramazanov89
78′
Matthew Silva2
77′
Maxim Medvedev5
59′
Toral Bayramov27
65′
Abbas Huseynov30
27′
Kevin Medina81
86′
Alexey Isaev24
58′
69′
92′
96′
Patrick Andrade66
85′
Hamidou Keyta17
Redon Xhixha19
Nariman Akhundzade90
77′
coach
Xabi Alonso
Qurban Qurbanov
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
