Bundesliga
Leverkusen fight back in Azerbaijan to preserve unbeaten run
Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen made it 35 competitive games without loss in 2023/24 after coming from 2-0 down to draw their UEFA Europa League last-16 first leg with Qarabağ.
Qarabağ 2-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Goals: 1-0 Benzia 26' (assist: Juninho), 2-0 Juninho 45'+2 (assist: Andrade), 2-1 Wirtz 70', 2-2 Schick 90'+2 (assist: Andrich)
Xabi Alonso made eight changes to the team that beat Cologne to move 10 points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga last weekend. That resulted in an uncharacteristically disjointed showing from the treble contenders, who survived a double scare in the 25th minute when Matěj Kovář swatted away from Juninho and Jankovic struck the upright from the resultant corner. Leverkusen failed to heed the warning as Yassine Benzia took full advantage of a loose pass by Jonathan Tah to give Qarabağ the lead. Patrick Andrade sent a close-range header wide, before setting up Juninho for a breakaway goal in first-half injury time for 2-0.
Leverkusen were nearly caught out again after the restart as Marko Vešović forced a fingertip save from Kovář. Amine Adli and Robert Andrich returned fire with a couple of shots that were blocked en route to the Qarabağ goal, prompting a double change from Alonso. Having already sent on Jeremie Frimpong at half-time, the Spanish coach introduced Florian Wirtz and Granit Xhaka with almost an hour gone. Wirtz duly answered the call with a fine run and finish to halve the deficit. Kovář pulled off a superb save to stop Juninho from restoring Qarabağ's two-goal lead, before Patrik Schick headed in a dramatic equaliser to extend Leverkusen's unbeaten streak ahead of Sunday's Bundesliga meeting with Wolfsburg and the return leg at the BayArena on 14 March.
Match stats
- Leverkusen are unbeaten in a German record 35 competitive fixtures this season.
- Alonso's team can still win a Bundesliga, DFB Cup, Europa League treble.
- Bayer beat Qarabağ home and away in the groups.
- Schick scored his seventh goal of the campaign, three of which have fallen in the Europa League.
- Wirtz has three goals and four assists in Europe this term.
- Qarabağ have lost seven of their nine UEFA competition meetings with Bundesliga clubs.
Teams
Qarabağ: Lunev, Vešović, Mustafazade, B. Hüseynov (c), Bayramov - Andrade (Silva 80'), Janković - Leandro Andrade, Benzia (Isaev 90'), Zoubir (Xhixha 90') - Juninho (Akhundzade 84')
Unused subs: Gugeshashvili, Ramazanov, Medvedev, Keyta, A. Hüseynov, Medina
Out: Cafarquliyev (suspended), Romão (suspended)
Coach: Gurban Gurbanov
Leverkusen: Kovář - Kossounou (Stanišić 81'), Tah (c), Tapsoba, Grimaldo - Tella (Frimpong 46'), Palacios (Xhaka 58'), Andrich, Adli - Borja Iglesias (Schick 80'), Hložek (Wirtz 58')
Unused subs: Hrádecký, Hincapié, Hofmann, Puerta
Out: Arthur (thigh), Boniface (groin)
Coach: Xabi Alonso
As it happened!
2 - 2(2 - 0)
Qarabağ
FINAL
Leverkusen
90' +5
vs
Looking for a winner
Andrich plays one more cross into the Qarabağ box but Frimpong can only shoulder wide of the target.
90' +2
vs
Leverkusen are level
Scenes! The Bundesliga side complete their comeback from 2-0 down to draw level and it's substitute Patrik Schick who nods home Andrich's cross from the right from close range. Incredible.
90'
vs
Isaev
Benzia
90'
vs
Xhixha
Zoubir
89'
vs
Time added on
There will be six extra minutes to play in Baku.
87'
vs
Frimpong off target
The Dutch full-back can't take advantage of the cross and Qarabağ can clear as the rain intensifies.
84'
vs
Akhundzade
Juninho
83'
vs
Super stop
Kovář pulls off a magnificent left-handed save to deny Juninho, who was through one-v-one with the Czech custodian. How vital could that stop prove to be come the end of this tie?
80'
vs
More changes
Xabi Alonso throws Josip Stanišić and Patrik Schick into the mix as we enter the game's final ten minutes.
80'
vs
Josip Stanišić
Odilon Kossounou
80'
vs
Patrik Schick
Borja Iglesias
80'
vs
Silva
Andrade
76'
vs
Grimaldo searching
Grimaldo storms forward once again but his cross is straight into the grateful hands of Lunev.
73'
vs
Fightback well underway
Borja Iglesias this time forces his way through on the left but the Spaniard can't manage to get a shot away. Leverkusen very much in the ascendency here.
70'
vs
Bayer back in it
A beautiful goal from attack-wizard Wirtz, who makes his way behind the Qarabağ defence before lifting a lovely finish over the advancing Lunev.
65'
vs
Tapsoba again
The Bayer defender gets to Grimaldo's corner but can only head wide of the target.
63'
vs
Leverkusen improving
There's been a big improvement from Leverkusen since those changes and it's Tapsoba who is the latest player to test goalkeeper Lunev after Borja Iglesias provided the pass.
61'
vs
Wirtz straight into it
Florian Wirtz sees an initial shot blocked before he pounces on the loose ball, combines with Adli and forces Lunev into a good save. There was a flag up there so that wouldn't have counted had it gone in, but it's nonetheless encouraging for the visitors.
58'
vs
Alonso calls for cavalry
Florian Wirtz and Granit Xhaka are on for a Leverkusen side desperate to stem the home tide here.
58'
vs
Florian Wirtz
Adam Hložek
58'
vs
Granit Xhaka
Exequiel Palacios
54'
vs
Leverkusen chances arriving
Leverkusen make inroads and soon after Adli's effort is deflected, Andrich has a shot blocked. The visitors have increased their urgency here.
50'
vs
Kovář rescues B04
A crucial finger-tipped save from Kovář denies Vešović. That was a close-run thing for the visitors who are really up against it here.
47'
vs
B04 push forward
Grimaldo does his best to carve out an opening but the Spain international loses control at a crucial moment and the chance fades. It's been one of those nights for Leverkusen thus far.
46'
vs
Game back on
The second half is underway and it begins with a Bayer switch, Jeremie Frimpong coming on to replace Nathan Tella.
46'
vs
Jeremie Frimpong
Nathan Tella
45' +2
vs
Half-time: Qarabağ 2-0 Leverkusen
Xabi Alonso has a big half-time team talk to make here with his side perhaps deservedly a couple of goals down against Qarabağ.
45' +2
vs
Qarabağ go further ahead
Just after Tah missed a good chance from Grimaldo's corner, Juninho races clear at the other end to put Leverkusen in a problematic situation. The hosts have doubled their lead.
45'
vs
Time added on
We'll have two minutes tacked onto the end of the first half.
43'
vs
Better from Bayer
This is more like it from the visitors. Hložek cracks a low shot at goal which finally forces Lunev into action, the goalkeeper making a decent save.
40'
vs
Bayer with the ball
The stats currently show that Leverkusen have had 63 per cent of possession, however, the Bundesliga side haven't been able to create an outstanding chance as yet.
vs
Tough luck against German clubs
Qarabağ are yet to win against a team from Germany, losing seven of their eight meetings so far.
37'
vs
Qarabağ chance
Bayer have a let off after Juninho's cross is met by Andrade at the back post. The Cape Verde international fails to convert from a tight angle and close to the Leverkusen goal.
33'
vs
Leverkusen bother
Xabi Alonso is looking on closely as his team struggle to break down hard-working opponents. Perhaps a tactical tweak is needed here from the Spanish coach.
28'
vs
Hložek off target
Leverkusen look to hit back quickly but Adam Hložek can only head over from Grimaldo's centre.
24'
vs
Hosts hit the post
From a corner, Janković sends a deflected strike against the upright!
vs
Goals from all over
While Leverkusen's leading Europa League goalscorer Victor Boniface is unavailable due to injury, a total of 10 players have scored for Die Werkself in the competition so far this term. In the Bundesliga, 15 have found the back of the net - Leverkusen have plenty of weapons in their arsenal.
26'
vs
First blood to Qarabağ
The Horsemen hit the front through Yassine Benzia, who applies a tidy finish following some good work by Juninho to snaffle possession and supply the assist.
20'
vs
Hložek denied
Adam Hložek has the ball in the Qarabağ net but his effort won't count as he was offside when converting Adli's pass.
18'
vs
Grimaldo on the move
Grimaldo has a chance to run into space and when the full-back gets into a promising position, his cross fails to find a teammate.
15'
vs
Steady pace
The game has yet to spark into life, with both sides knocking the ball around in these early stages. Juninho - who has already been booked - commits a foul on Andrich, before walking away sheepishly.
12'
vs
Visitors push forward
Leverkusen are alive in attack and Tella forces a corner, which only eventually leads to Tapsoba sending in a cross that fails to cause much danger.
10'
vs
Kovář saves
Bayer's second-choice shot stopper is alert to a Janković effort, the goalkeeper saving with relative ease.
8'
vs
Juninho booked
Qarabağ forward Juninho sees yellow for a foul on Exequiel Palacios, who is making his return to the Leverkusen starting line-up tonight following five games out with a muscular injury.
8'
vs
Juninho
6'
vs
Up against it
The visitors are still trying to find their shape here as their opponents continue to pile on the early pressure in the rain.