As Roma gears up to face Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League semi-finals, midfielder Leandro Paredes has sounded a cautionary note about the daunting task that lies ahead. The Argentine World Cup winner acknowledges the impressive form of Xabi Alonso’s side, who have remarkably gone unbeaten in all competitions this season.
Speaking to Roma’s social media channels from the club’s training base in Trigoria, Paredes emphasized the strengths of their German opponents.
In the highly anticipated Europa League semi-final clash between Bayer Leverkusen and Roma, Xabi Alonso has promised a tactical surprise that deviates from the team’s approach last season. The Spaniard, who guided Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title in a remarkable unbeaten campaign, has vowed to unveil a new style of play against the Giallorossi.
The most striking element of Alonso’s game plan is the decision to field Amine Adli as a ‘False 9’, leaving prolific strikers Victor Boniface and Patrik Schick on the bench.
Patrik Schick couldn’t hide his excitement as he prepared to face his former club AS Roma in the semifinals of the Europa League with current team Bayer Leverkusen. The Czech striker missed out on last year’s semifinal clash between the two sides due to injury, but he’s relishing the prospect of a reunion at the Stadio Olimpico this time around.
“It’s wonderful to be back here in Rome again,” Schick told reporters.
In a pulsating Bundesliga encounter on Sunday, newly-crowned champions Bayer Leverkusen demonstrated their championship mettle by salvaging a dramatic 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund in the dying moments at Signal Iduna Park.
Dortmund appeared set to inflict Leverkusen’s first defeat of the season when Niclas Fullkrug volleyed them ahead in the 81st minute. The German striker met Marcel Sabitzer’s deft pass with a crisp left-footed strike that flew past the despairing dive of Lukas Hradecky.
West Ham United took a massive step towards the Europa League semifinals with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie at London Stadium.
Michail Antonio’s 13th minute strike was the difference on a night where David Moyes’ men came out with ferocious intensity to put Leverkusen on the back foot from the opening whistle.
The East Londoners suffocated their German opponents, harrying them into mistake after mistake with an in-your-face press that Leverkusen simply could not handle.
The 2023-24 Bundesliga season will be remembered as the year the Bayern Munich dynasty finally crumbled. After an astonishing 11 consecutive league titles, the Bavarian giants were dethroned by an unlikely challenger - Xabi Alonso’s relentless Bayer Leverkusen side. And at the heart of Leverkusen’s historic triumph was a magician in the making - Florian Wirtz.
On April 14th, with the BayArena transformed into a cauldron of euphoria, Wirtz produced a breathtaking hat-trick that not only sealed Leverkusen’s first-ever Bundesliga crown but also served as a tantalizing glimpse into the future of German football.
As the 2022/23 season enters its final stretch, one name has been on the lips of football fans across Europe - Granit Xhaka. The Swiss midfield maestro, who swapped the red of Arsenal for the red and black of Bayer Leverkusen last summer, has been in scintillating form, propelling his new team towards an unprecedented treble.
Leverkusen currently sit atop the Bundesliga table, a single win away from clinching their first-ever league title.
The stage is set for a dramatic Bundesliga climax on Sunday, as Bayer Leverkusen stand on the verge of etching their name into the history books. Guided by the astute Xabi Alonso, the unbeaten juggernauts need only to overcome Werder Bremen at the BayArena to secure their maiden Bundesliga crown, ending Bayern Munich’s relentless dominance in the process.
For the past eleven seasons, the Bavarian giants have reigned supreme, their vice-like grip on the coveted Meisterschale seemingly unbreakable.
