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Europa League: Leverkusen Beats Qarabag To Secure Quarter Final Slot
Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten streak remains intact as they secure a thrilling victory over Qarabag FK to advance to the UEFA Europa League (UEL) quarter-finals.
Leverkusen came from two goals down at the death to avoid defeat both home and_ away, ultimately prevailing 5-4 on aggregate in a jaw-dropping two-legged tie.
The first leg set the stage for what would be a dramatic clash, with Xabi Alonso’s side narrowly escaping defeat and_ salvaging a draw against the determined Qarabag team. The return leg at BayArena proved to be just as intense, with Borja Iglesias and_ Amine Adli testing the Qarabag defence early on, only to be stopped by’ Andrey Lunyov’s goalkeeping skills.
Qarabag, however, stunned Leverkusen by’ taking a two-goal lead in quick succession through Abdellah Zoubir and_ Juninho, putting the German side on the back foot. The momentum seemed to be shifting in favour of the underdogs as Elvin Cafarguliyev was sent off, reducing Qarabag to 10 men.
But Leverkusen refused to back down, Jeremie Frimpong’s goal injected new life into the match, setting the stage for an exciting final minute. Substituted Patrik Schick was the hero of the day, firstly making faint contact to turn in Alex Grimaldo’s low cross before heading in at the back post in the seventh minute of added time to break Qarabag hearts.
With 32 wins on the season, Leverkusen are three away from tying their club record total for victories in a single season and_ already hold the German record for the longest unbeaten streak, eclipsing the streak of 32 by’ Bayern in February.
They also have the third-longest unbeaten run in the history of Europe’s top-five leagues, trailing only the 2004-05 Inter Milan team, 38, and_ record-holders Juventus, who went 42 games without losing in the 2011-12 season.
