Holding a two-goal aggregate lead, Bayer Leverkusen inch ever closer to a historic and unprecedented season as they host AS Roma in the second leg of their Europa League semifinal matchup.
Xabi Alonso’s side is five matches from completing the first fully unbeaten season in top flight European football. They have already mathematically secured the Bundesliga title, are set to contest the DFB-Pokal final in three weeks, and are 90 minutes from reaching the Europa League final.
They must remain resolute, as the aggregate scoreline is not all that matters to this club anymore, seeking such an historic and never-before-seen end to the year.
Roma, meanwhile, are looking to assess the future viability of manager Daniele De Rossi, a legendary player at the club who signed on in January, but has had mixed results at his appointment. The club sits sixth in the Serie A table, barely clinging to a European place and on the precipice of elimination.
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Bayer Leverkusen have flirted with ruin along their unbeaten season, especially through February and March, but have recovered well.
They dominated Roma in the first leg of this matchup, and under normal circumstances, the impetus would be on the Italian side to attempt a comeback on the road, but Leverkusen have the extra motivation from their potential unbeaten season to avoid defeat in each individual match alongside their aggregate aspirations.
Simply put, Bayer Leverkusen’s second half explosions have been well documented this season. Furthermore, they will likely sit on their aggregate lead and allow Roma to come at them in the beginning, tiring their opponents before striking late to put the game away.
This is a situation where thanks to their first-leg advantage, Leverkusen can take the chance to be reactive rather than proactive. Add in that Roma through the Serie A season have become more leaky at the back as matches go on, conceding 60 percent of their goals allowed in the second half, including 40 percent in the final 30 minutes of games, and they’ll be ripe for the picking after the break.
Bayer Leverkusen have no desire to make this match a track meet, and will be looking to keep Roma hemmed in as possible. Roma are not a team with extreme verticality anyways, ranking in the bottom half of Serie A in corners won this season, and with the fourth-fewest since the calendar turned to 2024.
There were just six corners in the first leg, including four in the second half with Roma trailing, so don’t expect much in the way of set pieces, where Bayer Leverkusen have been stingy this season at the back.
This match has been earmarked for network television in the United States, with the story of Bayer Leverkusen drawing eyeballs as the season nears a close. The game will be televised on CBS, which can be streamed on Fubo, who are offering a FREE trial for new users. It can also be streamed on Paramount+, where every match of the UEFA Champions League and Europa League can be found. Unimas, TUDN and ViX are the options for Spanish viewers.
In the UK, this match will be televised on TNT Sports 2, with streaming on discovery+. In Canada, the game will be streamed by UEFA broadcast partner DAZN.
