He’s a genius. He sees everything. Xabi Alonso managed to find a secret formula Leverkusen couldn’t find in 120 years. However, just as his men became champions of Germany, they nearly overdid it. Bayer found themselves on the brink of defeat in London, their first of the season in any competition, but they’re not an ordinary team, they’re a cat with nine lives!😳🇩🇪 Bayer Leverkusen are 44 games UNBEATEN this season…. Now officially won Bundesliga, in UEL semi-finals vs Roma, and also still have to play DFB Pokal final vs Kaiserslautern.Mr Xabi Alonso. Big respect. 🔛🔝 pic.twitter.com/WnwFg9Q4bt— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) April 18, 2024 It’s not as easy to play with the reserves at London Stadium against West Ham. Xabi Alonso got carried away, but spotted the mistake, and reached for heavy artillery. He brought on Viktor Boniface and Jeremy Frimpong, and the supersonic Dutchman showed what Leverkusen does best in Europe – scoring goals in stoppage time. And around the 90th minute he saved Xabi Alonso from his first defeat this season, prevented West Ham fans from celebrating a victory, and sent the German champions into the Europa League semifinals: 1-1 (1-0).No, Bayer cannot lose this season. In 44 matches, they haven’t suffered a single defeat—playing ten matches in Europe and only drawing twice. They’ve achieved historical success, reaching the final of the DFB Cup and advancing to the semifinals of the Europa League, where they will once again face Roma, just like a year ago. It’s been a magical season, even if Jeremy Frimpong hadn’t scored just before stoppage time, albeit with a bit of luck. The ball ricocheted and deceived Lukas Fabianski. It was a repayment for Leverkusen’s change in approach, a complete turnaround in their course.Everything changed with the entry of Jeremie Frimpong and Victor Boniface at the beginning of the second half. Until then, Leverkusen wasn’t Leverkusen. At least not the Leverkusen that all fans are accustomed to: ultra-offensive, outsmarting opponents, and constantly going for more goals. The current line-up was just not working. It was nowhere near the style of play from the first leg when they scored two goals and could have had more, and had a whopping 33 shots on goal?! West Ham started furiously in front of their own fans. The danger they posed is evidenced by the fact that they created more chances in the opening ten minutes than they did throughout the entire match at the BayArena. And they took the lead. Jared Bowen connected with Michael Antonio for the goal, and the striker’s goal somewhat goes on Matej Kovar’s account. He remained rooted in place; it was his ball… But soon after, the Czech made amends by saving Jared Bowen’s shot from the penalty spot.West Ham was superior in the first half, creating more promising opportunities. However, everything changed in the second half. Leverkusen gained penetration with Jeremie Frimpong, who most frequently entered the final third and created chances. He first tried to catch Lukasz Fabianski off guard with a shot from the right side, and later missed an outstanding chance—he didn’t react well in the one-on-one situation. But no one will remember that. Only the goal that removed all doubt. And left Bayer Leverkusen in a position to achieve a treble. The dream lives on!UEFA EUROPA LEAGUEQuarterfinals – second legThursdayAtalanta – Liverpool 0-1 (0-1)/Salah (p) 6/Atalanta win 3-1 on aggWest Ham – Leverkusen 1-1 (1-0)/Antonio 13 – Frimpong 89/Leverkusen win 2-1 on aggOlympique Marseille – Benfica 1-0 (0-0) – in progress/Moumbanga 71/Roma – Milan 2-1 (2-0)/Mancini 12, Dybala 22 – Gabbia 85/Roma win 3-0 on agg
