A season of missed opportunities has come to an end for Bayer Leverkusen. After fifth place in the league and a lost cup final, the Europa League will end in the quarter finals. The NRW final tournament continues without German participation.
Düsseldorf (AP) - Inter Milan has ended Bayer Leverkusen's dream of the finals at home on the Rhine in the Europa League.
The top Italian club defeated the Bundesliga club in a thrilling and varied quarter-final in the evening in Düsseldorf deservedly 2: 1 (2: 1) and threw the team of coach Peter Bosz out of the final tournament in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Leverkusen had too little to oppose the massive Milanese around the brilliantly presented Belgian top striker Romelu Lukaku, especially at the beginning of the game. Nicolò Barella in the 15th minute and Lukaku (21st) scored the goals for Inter, who are now the clear favorites in the semi-finals on August 17th in Düsseldorf against the winner of the game Shakhtar Donetsk against FC Basel. Kai Havertz, who is only occasionally conspicuous and heavily courted internationally, scored for Bayer 04 (25th).
After the Leverkusen exit, no German team will win the Europa League at the final on the other side of the Rhine in Cologne this year. Since the competition was launched in the 2009/10 season, no Bundesliga team has made it to the final. And a season of missed opportunities ended for Bayer. In the league, the Champions League was narrowly missed and in the DFB Cup final it was a defeat against FC Bayern.
"We gave everything. The two goals we conceded were too easy. It was difficult to catch up, even if everything was still possible in the second half," said Bayer defender Jonathan Tah, adding: "I think you take a lot out of games like this a lot with, a lot of experience, like in the cup final. The next step should be that we win games like this. Now we have to clear our heads and digest the whole thing. "
Bayer keeper Lukas Hradecky spoke of a "monster task" against Lukaku. "We have to learn from this." Lukaku himself is now hoping for the big coup: "We are growing in this tournament. The knowledge that we have achieved so many chances against one of the co-favorites gives us confidence."
Right from the start, both clubs fought a hard-fought duel at a high level with many goal area scenes. The more mature impression, however, was made by the Italian runner-up, who attacked early and posed major problems for the Bayer defense. Especially star striker Lukaku was hard to get under control.
Accordingly, the three-time UEFA Cup winner from Italy quickly took the lead 2-0 thanks to Lukaku. First, Nicolo Barella overcame Leverkusen goalkeeper Hradecky with his outside instep after a shot by Lukaku had been blocked (15th). Shortly afterwards, it was the robust striker himself who scored the 2-0 from close range in the fall (21st). The Belgian showed all his cleverness in a duel with the young Bayer defender Edmond Tapsoba.
The Bayer concept was over. Perhaps it was due to the lack of the yellow-banned Charles Aránguiz, but possibly also to the short-term change. Center-back Sven Bender had to cancel the warm-up program due to muscular problems and was replaced by Jonathan Tah. He and his defense colleagues could not prevent Lukaku from getting another big chance immediately after his goal. The strong Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky prevented the possible preliminary decision (23rd).
But Bayer still had young star Havertz. The national player, who could switch to Chelsea for a large sum of millions during the summer break, almost scored in return with a powerful shot at the connecting goal (25th). An important sign of life for the Rhinelander, which almost went out two minutes later. Because the Spanish referee Carlos del Cerro Grande pointed to the penalty spot after an alleged handball by Daley Sinkgraven. According to the video images, he correctly withdrew the penalty.
In the period that followed, the Leverkusen team came into play better, and they were also able to set off offensively with Moussa Diaby. But Inters offensive remained extremely dangerous. Sometimes it was Lautaro Martinez who broke through dangerously on the right (52nd), then Roberto Gagliardini (54th) was stopped at the last moment. The substitute Chilean superstar Alexis Sanchez also had a double chance (66th). Then it was Victor Moses who forced Hradecky to the next parade (76th). It remained exciting, also because the referee withdrew another Inter penalty by video decision (90th).
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200810-99-118474 / 4
