Leverkusen seek revenge on Roma for the top four of the Europa League

MILAN:

Bayer Leverkusen are gunning for revenge on Thursday when they travel to their second Europa League semi-final against Roma in as many years after another late escape kept their remarkable unbeaten run intact.

Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen side were filmed celebrating Roma’s passage from AC Milan to the last eight, and Thursday’s first leg at the Stadio Olimpico is a chance to erase the memory of ‘Mourinhoed’ last season’s last four.

Already a formidable proposition last season, Leverkusen’s astonishing 46-match unbeaten run and first Bundesliga title have them favorites to reach the Dublin final.

And the team that broke Bayern Munich’s dominance of German football want payback for the 1-0 aggregate defeat that led to Roma’s agonizing penalty shoot-out loss to Sevilla in last season’s final.

“We have a desire for revenge and a great hunger to win and reach the final,” Leverkusen CEO Fernando Coro told Radio Marca.

“We want to reach the final at all costs.”

Leverkusen have scored 16 stoppage-time goals this season in all competitions, the latest coming in the 96th minute of Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Stuttgart.

And it was their habit of late strikes that saw them back to the Europa League semi-finals, with ex-Roma player Patrik Schick scoring three times in added time for a 5-4 last-16 win against Qarabag and two more late goals to see them through. West Ham in the quarter-finals.

Coach Alonso said his side’s ability to bounce back at the death was “difficult to explain” after Robert Andrich grabbed a point in Stuttgart, but he hopes he can hold on for the rest of the campaign.

“Our main goal was to be champions, but now we don’t want to stop,” Alonso added to Sky.

“The goal is clear. We want to be unbeaten until the end of the season.”

Roma got a point of their own at Napoli on Sunday thanks to a goal from Tammy Abraham, the England international striker’s first goal in a year after a long-term knee injury.

While Leverkusen can focus on Europe, Daniele De Rossi’s side have had a frantic past few weeks as they scramble to take advantage of Serie A to clinch an extra place in next year’s Champions League and aim for a third continental final in as many years .

Roma are undoubtedly tired after winning an Italian derby with AC Milan to reach the last four, a draw that was preceded by the Rome derby and followed by clashes with direct top-five rivals Bologna and Napoli, as well as their win at Udinese which had to be played in two acts after Evan Ndicka collapsed on the field.

And their next two league games are against Juventus and Atalanta – who sit two points behind Roma – making the next fortnight crucial for De Rossi, who has turned his boyhood club around since replacing Jose Mourinho in January.

“I have players who are trying to get something from this season,” De Rossi told DAZN after Napoli’s draw.

“We know it will be difficult… we have to find the results we need to get into the Champions League or win the Europa League.”

De Rossi will be boosted by the return of Romelu Lukaku to Paulo Dybala’s side after the Belgian striker shook off a thigh problem.

Also, Chris Smalling, who missed Napoli with a groin injury, and midfielder Leandro Paredes were ruled out for the weekend’s tough tie.

“We have to be perfect because if they never lose and have the heart to score so often in the last seconds, it means they have something special,” De Rossi said.

“They’re undefeated, but they’re not invincible.”