Bayer Leverkusen orchestrated a remarkable Europa League comeback win with two injury-time goals to secure a 3-2 (5-4 aggregate) victory over Qarabag FK at the BayArena.
Leverkusen showcased early dominance, with Amine Adli posing a threat to former teammate Andrey Lunev in goal. Despite concerns over Jonas Hofmann’s injury, the first half remained relatively subdued and ended goalless.
Qarabag stunned Leverkusen by taking the lead through Abdellah Zoubir’s header in the 58th minute. The momentum seemed to shift further when Elvin Cafarguliyev received a red card, reducing Qarabag to ten men.
However, the away side doubled their lead despite a numerical disadvantage, with Juninho’s goal in the 67th minute.
Leverkusen fought back valiantly, with Jeremie Frimpong pulling a goal back in the 72nd minute.
The match appeared destined for extra time until substitute Patrik Schick emerged as the hero. In a dramatic turn of events, Schick netted twice in injury time, sealing Leverkusen’s place in the quarter-finals amid euphoric scenes at the BayArena.
The thrilling victory underscores Leverkusen’s resilience and sets the stage for an exciting Europa League campaign ahead.
Bayer Leverkusen were losing 4-3 on aggregate going into added time vs Qarabag
— 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐃𝐀𝐘! (@TodayMatchHD) March 15, 2024
Schick (90+3')
Schick (90+7')
37 games unbeaten, German football record and 10 points clear of Bayern. 🕵️♂️ Mr. Xabi Alonso. #UELpic.twitter.com/3b77UwY8Aw
We are telling you, it's impossible to break Xabi Alonso's unbeaten record with Bayer Leverkusen 😅 💪 pic.twitter.com/iNBGaKfULP
— OneFootball (@OneFootball) March 14, 2024
Xabi Alonso. That's it. That's the tweet. pic.twitter.com/RPFDDmzQbN
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) March 14, 2024
𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘃𝘀 @FKQarabagh
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) March 14, 2024
💬 #Alonso: "We were ready to have a special night in the #BayArena. It was not easy, to come back from 0-2 in the final minutes. I saw that we wanted more. The most important thing is that we are in the next round with top clubs… pic.twitter.com/AcxitWbGD7
