Bayer Leverkusen vs AS Roma Preview

Bayer Leverkusen’s quest for invincibility and the Europa League final will be tested again this Thursday when they welcome AS Roma to the Bay Arena for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final tie.

Despite facing stiff opposition both domestically and in Europe, Xabi Alonso’s side have continued to defy the odds and have kept their incredible unbeaten run going. They made it 48 games without defeat over the weekend, winning 5-1 away from home, thus matching Benfica’s record as the team with the longest unbeaten streak in Europe.

Their next target will be to become the outright holders of the record and also to book their place in the Europa League final with a win or draw against Roma enough having secured a 2-0 win in the first leg in Rome. The hosts know the enormity of the task ahead but will be confident of coming out on top given their home form.

In 24 games played at the Bay Arena this season, Leverkusen have 23 wins and three draws. They have also won each of their Europa League games at home, suggesting that it will take something special for Roma who have failed to beat Leverkusen away from home in three tries (D2, L1) to get a result here.

But it will also take serious work to beat Daniele de Rossi’s side as they defeated AC Milan away from home to book their place in this round. The visitors have defied expectations to reach here and they will be desperate to at least put up a fight even though it might not be enough to overturn the two-goal deficit.

Their preparation for this wasn’t ideal, though, as Roma were held to a 1-1 draw with Juventus. So even the most optimistic Roma fans may find it hard to make a case for them overturning this two-goal deficit at this stage, with the Italians progressing from just one of their six historic European ties when losing the first leg at home.

All three of those ties which saw the home first leg end in a 2-0 defeat saw the Giallorossi eliminated, and that’s not to mention their shocking away record against German opponents on the European stage (W2, D2, L11).