Missed the round of 16, the consolation prize is also in great danger: Bayer Leverkusen can only spend the winter in the Europa League internationally.
The struggling Bundesliga team came 2-2 (2-1) at the Spanish top club Atlético Madrid on the fifth day of the preliminary round of the Champions League after leading twice and can thus only oust the Rojiblancos from third place with support.
It got strange at the very end in the truest sense of the word: referee Clement Turpin had already blown the whistle when the video assistant drew his attention to a handball in the penalty area.
Atlético received a penalty in which Yannick Carrasco (90 + 8) failed at Lukas Hradecky, and two additional shots missed the Bayer goal. Then it was finally over.
Moussa Diaby (9th) and Callum Hudson-Odoi (29th) scored for the team of Spanish coach Xabi Alonso, who has celebrated just one win in his five games as manager at Leverkusen (4-0 on his debut against Schalke) – the trend reversal after the dismissal of Gerardo Seoane, the world champion of 2010 has not yet succeeded either.
Diaby slips past Oblak
The Madrilenians, who lost the first leg in the Rhineland, equalized through Carrasco (22′) and Rodrigo de Paul (50′) and have third place in Group B themselves.
Even before the kick-off in Madrid, FC Porto’s 4-0 win over FC Bruges made it clear that Bayer no longer had a chance of reaching the round of 16 in the premier class. Against Brugge, who are sure to go through, Bayer must now get more points next Tuesday than Atletico at FC Porto. The Portuguese are also in the next round.
Alonso once again had to do without Patrik Schick in the center of attack in Madrid, the Czech EM star was at least on the bench after healed from adductor problems. But even without the goal scorer who was recently looking for form, Bayer started bravely. Robert Andrich conquered the ball against world champion Antoine Griezmann with a robust effort, Adam Hlozek put it through to Diaby, who defeated Jan Oblak with a flick.
Griezmann checks Hradecky several times
After that, Atletico, currently third in La Liga, improved significantly and earned the equalizer against increasingly passive Leverkusen. Carrasco’s long-range shot hit flat. Lukas Hradecky had no chance. And Diego Simeone’s team pushed for the second goal – but the table-15 succeeded. in the Bundesliga: Again, the goal was preceded by winning the ball deep in the opponent’s half, this time it was Nadiem Amiri who served Hudson-Odoi on loan from Chelsea. For the young Englishman it was the first goal in a Bayer jersey.
After the change of sides, Simeone prescribed total forward drive for his team. Bayer couldn’t get the ball out of the danger zone, and Rodrigo de Paul, who had just come on as a substitute, scored with a flick. The Estadio Metropolitano was there now, and so was the home team. Griezmann (58th, 60th, 81st) tested Hradecky in series.
At least in the final minutes of the game, Bayer was able to provide some relief with a counterattack.