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Roma almost completed the miracle of cancelling out the 2-0 first leg defeat, but Bayer Leverkusen simply refuse to lose their unbeaten 49-match record and reach the Europa League Final against Atalanta.

There was a mountain to climb after losing the first leg 2-0 at home, visiting a side unbeaten in 48 games. Paulo Dybala was only fit for the bench, with Dean Huijsen and Rasmus Kristensen cup-tied, but despite Zeki Celik’s return from suspension, the Giallorossi adopted a 3-5-2 formation. After using a False 9 in Rome, Xabi Alonso was unable to start Florian Wirtz.

See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.

Romelu Lukaku controlled an inspired Lorenzo Pellegrini long ball and the goalkeeper came rushing out to parry with his chest.

Exequiel Palacios stung Mile Svilar’s gloves after a give and go on the edge of the area and Pellegrini’s header was smothered by Matej Kovar.

The problems grew for Roma when Leonardo Spinazzola, who was in the back three, went down with a muscular problem and was replaced by Nicola Zalewski.

Gianluca Mancini made a decisive block on Adam Hlozek’s tap-in and Svilar pushed a Hlozek free kick over the bar, but Palacios went so close when his finish squirmed through a sea of legs to bounce off the inside of the upright and Evan Ndicka was quick to clear before anyone could get the tap-in.

Svilar also flew to fingertip a Jeremie Frimpong curler round the post, then made a desperate double save on Amine Adli’s strike and the Hlozek follow-up.

Just as Roma were struggling, Jonathan Tah dragged Azmoun down by the shirt for a penalty. With Dybala injured, Leandro Paredes stepped up and converted down the middle to halve the deficit on aggregate.

It was almost a second moments later, as the Zalewski cross was whipped in from the right and Azmoun was inches away from getting his toes to it, as Edmond Tapsoba risked an own goal to clear.

Bryan Cristante’s finish was too weak on the Zalewski pass to beat Kovar, while Adli fired through Ndicka’s legs to skim the upright.

Kovar struggled with a sudden Azmoun snapshot and needed a tough one-handed save on the Stephan El Shaarawy curler, then Leverkusen countered on the corner but Svilar rushed out to deny Hofmann.

There was another twist when Hlozek held up his hand near his face and with his fingertips pushed away a glancing Cristante corner. It was spotted by VAR and another penalty awarded to Roma, which Paredes again converted, this time sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

Hofmann tried and failed to coax Svilar into a penalty foul, while Adli drilled just past the post, but Roma’s luck was out.

Svilar misjudged the flight of the Grimaldo corner and the ball bounced in off Mancini at the back post for an own goal.

Roma threw everything forward and ran huge risks on the counter-attack, including a Patrik Schick lob off target, but Leverkusen simply refused to lose their 49-match unbeaten record. Stanisic cut inside from the right and bent a left-foot finish into the far bottom corner.

Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 Roma (4-2 agg)

Paredes pens 43, 66 (R), Mancini og 82 (B), Stanisic 97 (B)

Marseille 3 - 0

Player statistic

1st half
Ademola Lookman (Assist: Charles De Ketelaere) 30'    
2nd half
Éderson 47'    
Matteo Ruggeri (Assist: Ademola Lookman) 52'    
Marten de Roon

63'     El Bilal Touré

90+5'    

Match statistic

46 Possession % 54 16 Total shots 6 8 Shots on target 1 6 Shots off target 4 2 Blocked shots 1 3 Corners 0 2 Offsides 1 17 Fouls 6 Atalanta Marseille

Starting lineups

1
Juan Musso Goalkeeper 19
Berat Djimsiti Defender 77
Davide Zappacosta Defender 77' 4 Isak Hien Defender 22 Matteo Ruggeri Defender 13
Éderson Midfielder 56' 15
Marten de Roon Midfielder 7
Teun Koopmeiners Midfielder 11
Ademola Lookman Attacker 77' 17
Charles De Ketelaere Attacker 61' 90
Gianluca Scamacca Attacker 56' 16
Pau López Goalkeeper 99
Chancel Mbemba Defender 59' 7
Jonathan Clauss Defender 72' 5
Leonardo Balerdi Defender 3 Quentin Merlin Defender 72' 4
Samuel Gigot Defender 11
Amine Harit Midfielder 84' 19
Geoffrey Kondogbia Midfielder 27
Jordan Veretout Midfielder 29
Iliman Ndiaye Attacker

59' 10

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Attacker

Substitutes

31
Francesco Rossi Goalkeeper 29
Marco Carnesecchi Goalkeeper 20
Mitchel Bakker Defender 25
Michel Adopo Midfielder 45 Marco Palestra Defender 43 Giovanni Bonfanti Defender 53 Pietro Comi Defender 59
Aleksey Miranchuk Midfielder 56' 42 Giorgio Scalvini Defender 56' 8
Mario Pasalic Midfielder 61' 33
Hans Hateboer Defender 77' 10
El Bilal Touré Attacker 77' 1
Simon Ngapandouetnbu Goalkeeper 36
Rubén Blanco Goalkeeper 62
Amir Murillo Defender 18 Bamo Meïté Defender 37 Emran Soglo Midfielder 49 Raimane Daou Midfielder 23
Ismaïla Sarr Attacker 59' 8
Azzedine Ounahi Midfielder 59' 44 Luis Henrique Attacker 72' 14
Faris Moumbagna Attacker 72' 20
Joaquín Correa Attacker

84'

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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