Under the direction of manager Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen has had an incredible season. Their incredible success, which includes winning the Bundesliga title for the first time in their history and making it to the UEFA Europa League final, has been largely attributed to their propensity to score important goals late in the game.
Leverkusen’s late heroics against AS Roma in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final are among the most famous. Roma rallied after falling behind 2-0 in the first leg and, with two penalties from Leandro Paredes, leveled the draw at 2-2 overall.
In the eighty-third minute, Leverkusen won a corner as the game was about to go into overtime. Leverkusen scored a vital away goal thanks to an assist from Gianluca Mancini after Alex Grimaldo’s delivery caused havoc in the Roma box.
The drama was far from done, though. Substitute Josip Stanisic scored a spectacular counterattack goal in the 97th minute to tie the score at 2-2 for the game and advance Leverkusen to the final 4-2 on aggregate. With this goal, Leverkusen not only guaranteed a spot in the championship game but also extended their unbeaten streak to an unprecedented 49 games, beating Benfica’s previous record set between 1963 and 1965.
Bayer Leverkusen all late goals this season:
⏰ 90+4 vs Bayern
⏰ 90+4 vs Qarabag
⏰ 90+4 vs Augsburg
⏰ 90+1 vs Leipzig
⏰ 90+1 vs Stuttgart
⏰ 90+2 vs Qarabag
⏰ 90+3 & 90+7 vs Qarabag
⏰ 90+1 vs Hoffenheim
⏰ 90+7 vs Dortmund
⏰ 90+7 vs Stuttgart
⏰ 90+7 vs AS Roma
Leverkusen’s remarkable season has been characterized by their ability to score goals in the dying moments. In every competition since the 80th minute, they have outscored their rivals 32–5. They have scored 14 goals in stoppage time alone, converting five games into wins and three into draws.
Leverkusen supporters will be looking for more dramatic late-game heroics as their team gets ready to play Atalanta in the Europa League final on May 22. With their winning streak and hopes for a treble intact, Xabi Alonso’s club has a chance to solidify their legacy as one of the best teams in European football history.