AAP Soccer

Leverkusen juggernaut powers on, Marseille held

By AAP Newswire

May 3, 2024

Bayer Leverkusen's pursuit of a treble has been boosted by a 2-0 win at Roma in their Europa League semi-final first leg, while Marseille and Atalanta drew 1-1.

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Leverkusen's Germany duo Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich scored either side of the break to help the recently crowned Bundesliga champions extend their remarkable unbeaten run this season to 47 games in all competitions - a record in the big five leagues.

The Werkself had drawn their last three games, with very late goals to maintain their amazing run, but they will host the Giallorossi in next Thursday's second leg in buoyant mood.

They also meet second-tier Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on May 25.

The Europa League final is in Dublin three days earlier.

An all-Italian affair in the Irish capital is now unlikely but still possible after Gianluca Scamacca gave Atalanta the lead on 11 minutes in southern France after Teun Koopmeiners' assist

Striker Scamacca's drilled finish was his 16th goal of the season in all competitions.

But Marseille defender Chancel Mbemba levelled midway through the first half with a superb curling shot to send the Stade Velodrome wild. The hosts hit the woodwork and had a goal ruled out in the second period.

Atalanta, from the small Italian city of Bergamo near Milan, are in their first ever European semi-final while 1993 European champions Marseille have only ever been runners-up three times in the second-tier competition.

By AAP Newswire

Australian Associated Press