As of: 03/10/2022 11:21 p.m
Bayer Leverkusen still has every chance of reaching the quarter-finals in the Europa League. With a bit of luck and thanks to a strong performance by keeper Lukas Hrádecký, the Bundesliga soccer club lost only 2: 3 (1: 2) to Atalanta Bergamo on Thursday evening.
After a somewhat sluggish start to the game, Leverkusen took the lead in the 9th minute when Charles Aránguiz’s free-kick hit the post.
Aránguiz gives Bayer the best start
Shortly thereafter, the Chilean aimed better. After a nice one-two in front of the penalty area, Florian Wirtz saw Aránguiz, who put his cross pass from the edge of the penalty area into the bottom right corner (11th minute).
A successful start that shocked the home side. Leverkusen controlled the game until Rafael Tolói put Italy in danger for the first time (20′) with a warning shot, albeit too central, at the Bayer goal saved by Lukas Hrádecký.
Bergamo double after Bayer lost the ball
Shortly afterwards, two turnovers in midfield were fatal for Leverkusen, which the home side used in less than two minutes to score twice. First the Ukrainian international Ruslan Malinovskiy equalized after a one-two with Luis Muriel (23′), and a little later he returned the favor to his strike partner with the assist to make it 2-1 (25′).
The Italians remained the more dangerous side until half-time, but either missed the goal or were denied by Hrádecký, who seemed unperturbed by the double strike.
Atalanta starts furiously
After the change of sides, the hosts remained in offensive mode and once again showed Bayer their defensive limits with their Malinovskyi/Muriel strike duo. As with the second goal, it was the Ukrainian who served the Colombian – to 3: 1 (49th).
There wasn’t much to see of the guests at the front and they started to swim again and again at the back. In the 58th minute it was again thanks to Hrádecký that the game didn’t get completely out of control early on. He blocked Muriel’s third goal with a foot save.
Goal out of the blue
Shortly thereafter, the Dutchman Hans Hateboer took the measure, but found his master in the Bayer keeper (60th). Moussa Diaby demonstrated that chances can be used more efficiently with the completely surprising goal to make it 2:3. The Atalanta defense didn’t look very solid in the scene, but Diaby did everything right when he left two Italians on the edge of the penalty area and gave Juan Musso no chance with a low left-footed shot into the left corner (63′).
If you had to worry just before that there would be more Bergamo goals, but now there were many indications of a passable first-leg result. In the end it was enough for that. In a final phase that was no longer quite as turbulent and fast-paced, there were no more goals. In the end, there was a defeat with just one goal, which gave Leverkusen every chance of making it into the quarter-finals of the Europa League in the second leg in front of their home crowd.
The second leg in Leverkusen will be played next Thursday (6.45 p.m.).
Source: wdr.de
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