Narrow victory in Baku: Leverkusen secure progression
Bayer Leverkusen continued their winning streak in the Europa League and secured their progression on matchday four.
The Bundesliga leaders, coached by Xabi Alonso, won 1:0 (0:0) at FK Karabakh Agdam thanks to a penalty in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Victor Boniface converted with ease in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku. Leverkusen, who have yet to lose a competitive match this season, have twelve points after four of their six group games.
Alonso rotates
Alonso rotated his starting eleven. Compared to the 3-2 win at TSG Hoffenheim, the Spaniard made six changes. Goalkeeper Matej Kovar and midfielder Robert Andrich were among the new additions to the team.
And Bayer did not get off to a good start. It took until the 23rd minute for the Werkself to create any real danger in front of Karabakh Agdam's goal. After a corner from Alejandro Grimaldo, who has been so strong so far this season, Piero Hincapié failed to clear his header past former Leverkusen keeper Andrej Lunew in the hosts' goal.
The underdogs, who had gone down 5-1 in the first leg, kept the game open. Karabakh Agdam played quickly through the midfield time and again to get into the Bayer penalty area. However, the hosts were not really dangerous at first. It was only after a misunderstanding between Hincapié and Kovar that things got dicey. Bayer's substitute keeper, who replaces captain Lukas Hradecky in international matches, had no problems with a shot from Juninho.
Late decision by Boniface
Leverkusen initially took greater control after the break. Bayer 04 had more possession and occasionally ran the ball well through midfield. However, the visitors rarely got into the penalty area. In the 66th minute, center forward Victor Boniface made a dangerous save, but Lunew reacted well and made the save.
At the other end, Juninho hit his own captain Abdellah Zoubir instead of the goal from a promising position. Yassine Benzia also failed to hit the target accurately enough for the hosts, who were cheered on by frenzied fans. Leverkusen didn't really come up with much offensively in the final phase. The penalty then gave them the chance to win, which Boniface did not miss.
In the Europa League, Bayer Leverkusen's victory over FK Karabakh Agdam clinched their spot in the next round, with Victor Boniface scoring a late penalty. Despite Alonso making six changes to his starting eleven, Leverkusen faced a challenging first half in the Azerbaijani capital.
Source: www.dpa.com
