Europa League round of 16 first leg
Bayer 04 Leverkusen still have every chance of progressing to the next round despite a defeat in the gripping round of 16 first leg of the Europa League at Atalanta Bergamo. Coach Gerardo Seoane’s team lost 3-2 (1-2) to the northern Italians on a furious evening of almost non-stop power football. Charles Aránguiz made it 1-0 for the third-placed Bundesliga team in the atmospheric Atalanta stadium in the eleventh minute on Thursday.
However, the hosts turned the game around with two goals in less than 120 seconds: Ukrainian international Ruslan Malinowski (23rd) and Luis Muriel (25th) scored for Bergamo. Shortly after the change of sides, match winner Muriel scored his second goal (49th). In a phase of pressure from Bergamo, Moussa Diaby ensured a decent starting position for Leverkusen with his connection goal (63rd).
Why Bayer coach Seoane had called for a very good start in the first quarter of an hour became more than clear from the start. Atalanta, cheered on by their own fans, tried to take control of the game. But Bayer didn’t allow it. Just as technically adept, just as strong tactically, the Werkself held their own against the Italian hosts after the 1-1 draw against FC Bayern in the Bundesliga and even scored in the middle of their early urge phase.
First, Aranguiz failed with a fine free-kick flick over the wall at the inside post (9′). Shortly thereafter, the 32-year-old Chilean tried a low shot: this time there was nothing standing in the way. A great assist from Florian Wirtz went ahead. The Bergamo pros looked at each other in amazement, the Bayer players celebrated the lead in the Rhinelanders’ 50th Europa League game with a happy grin. But they didn’t get cocky. Despite the very strong first 20 minutes, there was no reason for that.
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Because Bergamo was unimpressed and freed itself from the pressure. It took the Italians less than two minutes to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead, even without their top striker Duván Zapata, who has been injured for some time. Both times the goals came through the middle. The fact that Malinowski managed to equalize caused an additional goosebump moment.
Even before the kick-off, Bergamo fans had hung Ukrainian flags, and Malinowski kissed his wrist after his goal. Only a strong captain Lukas Hradecky in the Bayer goal prevented a higher deficit in the period that followed, but he also had to admit defeat only a few minutes after the change of ends. And as with the 2-1, it was Muriel. The template came again from Malinowski.
Unlike at the beginning of the first half, the Bayer pros initially had no effective means against the attacking hosts. One like the injured striker Patrik Schick was also missing for relief. So initially not much went forward, while Atalanta almost played a power play on the goal of the extremely strong Hradecky. The goal, which was so important, was all the more surprising: after a defensive mistake, Diaby got the ball, dribbled briefly and shot low into the corner from 18 meters, so that Leverkusen were even stronger in the Rheinderby on Sunday against 1. FC Köln and hopefully into the second leg against Bergamo can go next Thursday.
90.+3 | the #Werkself subject @Atalanta_BC in the round of 16 first leg. #ATAB04 3:2 | #UEL | #Bayer04 pic.twitter.com/qhGPB9Egcn
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04fussball) March 10, 2022
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