AS Roma suffered a challenging defeat against Bayer Leverkusen in their Europa League semi-final match. The Italian team, also known as the Giallorossi, struggled to match the strong and determined performance of the German side.
Despite the return of key players Romelu Lukaku and Chris Smalling from injury, AS Roma faced limitations with Zeki Celik’s suspension and Dean Huijsen and Rasmus Kristensen being ineligible to play. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen, who had already secured the Bundesliga title, entered the match with an impressive unbeaten record of 38 wins and 8 draws for the season. They were seeking redemption after last season’s semi-final defeat to Jose Mourinho’s side.
The match witnessed several missed opportunities from AS Roma, with Lukaku hitting the crossbar and Jeremie Frimpong failing to convert his chance. Bayer Leverkusen took the lead thanks to a defensive error from AS Roma, with Rick Karsdorp stumbling, allowing Alex Grimaldo to set up Florian Wirtz for an easy tap-in.
The Giallorossi continued to struggle in the second half, as Bayer Leverkusen doubled their lead through a spectacular goal from Robert Andrich. Despite late attempts from AS Roma to get on the scoresheet, they were unable to make a comeback, resulting in a disappointing 2-0 defeat.
The match also saw a scuffle break out between players, with yellow cards being issued to Leonardo Spinazzola and Granit Xhaka. AS Roma’s Tammy Abraham had a golden opportunity to score late in stoppage time, but he missed an open goal from close range.
The final score of 2-0 in favour of Bayer Leverkusen has left AS Roma facing an uphill battle as they strive to reach the Europa League Final for the second consecutive year.
It was undoubtedly a challenging and disheartening match for AS Roma, but they will need to regroup and come back stronger in the second leg. The road to the final is still within reach, and the team will need to put this defeat behind them and focus on their next crucial encounter.