Without stopping to the round of 16: Bayer Leverkusen used the new mode in the football Europa League and, thanks to the fighting spirit, jumped three hurdles at once.
With the 3-2 (1-1) win against Celtic Glasgow, Bayer secured progress and victory in Group G even before the last group game, thus avoiding the two games in the K.
Leverkusen - o.-intermediate round.
After the not insignificant deal at Ferencvaros Budapest on December 9, Bayer will not intervene again until March 10.
Champions League relegated Borussia Dortmund, for example, has to play a round beforehand.
The best player on the field was Leverkusen's Robert Andrich.
The midfielder had put Bayer in the lead (16th) and equalized again after the goals conceded by Josip Juranovic (40th, penalty kick) and Jota (56th) (82nd).
Moussa Diaby finally secured the group win with the decisive goal in addition to progressing (87th).
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The Scots did not hide, spurred on by almost 2000 enormously loud fans, and looked for their chance of progressing and even winning the group.
Bayer, who had started with a rump team - there were only five field players on the bench instead of the permitted ten outfield players - soon gained security through ball relay.
Two players in particular took charge of the game: full-back Jeremie Frimpong, who moved from Celtic to Leverkusen in January, who seemed to be spurred on by the whistles of the Glasgow fans.
Andrich, who started the first shot (9th), just missed with his head after the corner due (10th) and hit after the next from Florian Wirtz.
After that, Bayer let go in front of 19,830 spectators.
The hard-working Scots actually lacked class and speed to get dangerously in front of the Leverkusen goal.
So a penalty had to serve: Bayer goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky had knocked over striker Kyogo Furuhashi after a cross.
Referee Anatasios Sidiropoulos initially allowed the game to continue, but pointed to the point after the video assistant intervened.
Juranovic chipped into the goal in Panenka style.
The fact that Bayer did not take a lead into the dressing room was due to a curious situation: First Diaby hit the right post, followed by Wirtz the left (44th).
After the break, Amine Adli also stumbled into the lead (54th).
They scored the Scots when, of all people, Frimpong slipped away while attempting to clear things up against his ex-team.
Jota's goal came from Celtic's second shot on goal.
In the closing stages, Bayer rewarded themselves thanks to the hits from the outstanding Andrich (82nd) and Diaby (87th).
dpa
