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London. — Bayer Leverkusen are gunning for revenge today when they travel to a second Europa League semifinal against Roma in as many years after yet another late escape kept their remarkable unbeaten run intact.
Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen staff were filmed celebrating Roma’s passage past AC Milan in the last eight, and today’s first leg at the Stadio Olimpico is a chance to purge the memory of being ‘Mourinhoed’ in last season’s last four.
Already a formidable proposition last term, Leverkusen’s astonishing run of 46 matches without defeat and a first-ever Bundesliga title has them favourites to reach the final in Dublin.
And the team which broke Bayern Munich’s dominance of German football wants payback for the 1-0 aggregate loss which led to Roma’s agonising penalty shoot-out defeat to Sevilla in last season’s final.
“We have a desire for revenge, and a great hunger to win and get ourselves into the final,” said Leverkusen CEO Fernando Corro to Radio Marca.
“We want to get to the final at all costs.”
Leverkusen have scored 16 goals in stoppage time this season in all competitions, the latest coming in the 96th minute of last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Stuttgart.
And it’s been their habit for late strikes which has got them back to the Europa League semis, with former Roma man Patrik Schick scoring three times in added time over their 5-4 last-16 win against Qarabag and two more late goals helping them past West Ham in the quarterfinals.
Coach Alonso said his team’s ability to claw back results at the death was “hard to explain” after Robert Andrich snatched a point at Stuttgart but is hoping it holds out for the rest of the campaign.
“Our main objective was to become champions, but now we don’t want to stop,” added Alonso to Sky.
“The goal is clear. We want to stay undefeated until the end of the season.”— AFP.
Online Reporter