Bayer Leverkusen unbeaten run extends to 37

• Bayer Leverkusen unbeaten run in all competitions this season has reached 37, thanks to last night’s unforgettable victory over Qarabag
• It was Patrik Schick who scored the two late goals that sparked wild celebrations among the players and home fans while leaving the visitors floored

Bayer Leverkusen unbeaten run in all competitions this season has reached 37, thanks to last night’s unforgettable victory over Qarabag.

Qarabag threatened to stop Bayer Leverkusen’s impressive run last week in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie but the German side scored two late goals to earn a draw. The Azerbaijan club were close to producing a seismic shock in the return leg last night when second-half goals from Abdellah Zoubir and Juninho put them 2-0 up in the 67th minute despite having a man sent off just after the hour mark.

Bayer Leverkusen unbeaten run has reached 37. Photo/ New Straits Times.

Bayer Leverkusen, who were at home, pulled one back in the 72nd minute, but with time running out everyone thought they had been knocked out of the Europa League. However, Xabi Alonso and his men had other ideas in mind, levelling the scores in stoppage time to ensure their unbeaten run continues and then scoring the winning goal minutes later.

It was Patrik Schick who scored the two late goals that sparked wild celebrations among the players and home fans while leaving the visitors floored.

Bayer Leverkusen unbeaten run has now extended to 37 in all competitions, with manager Xabi Alonso taking the credit for the amazing work. The Black and Reds are currently on top of the Bundesliga table with 67 points and are on course to winning their first ever league title in history. Also, they are in the semi-finals of DFB-Pokal.

Last night’s dramatic comeback victory puts them close to European glory as they are among the last eight in the Europa League.

How Bayer Leverkusen Beat Qarabag 

Qarabag already proved to be a tough opponent for Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg, forcing the German side to a 2-2 draw. The Azerbaijan side once again proved that they were not to be underestimated last night during the second leg as they scored first and then increased their advantage to 2-0 before allowing the hosts to turn the game around in the dying minutes.

Bayer Leverkusen started last night’s match on a high note, with Borja Iglesias missing good chances in the opening minutes. Qarabag’s goalkeeper Andrey Lunyov was then forced into action by Amine Adli who met Jeremie Frimpong’s low cross into the box with a brilliant strike.

The visitors then got into the game and started creating chances of their own. They almost found the opener shortly before the break when Juninho made a brilliant run into the box but his finish lacked accuracy as the shot hit the sidenet.

Abdellah Zoubir gave Qarabag the lead in the 58th minute with a back-post header, but they were reduced to ten men four minutes later when Elvin Cafarguliyev was sent off after pulling back Frimpong. Surprisingly, the Azerbaijan side increased their advantage to 2-0 through Juninho in the 67th minute.

Patrik Schick scored two stoppage time goals to send Bayer Leverkusen to Europa League quarter-finals. Photo/ beIN SPORTS.

Frimpong pulled one back for Leverkusen five minutes later but they had to wait until stoppage time before Patrik Schick found the back of the net after meeting Alex Grimaldo’s cross. While it seemed like the tie was headed to extra time, the Czech forward scored the winning goal that saw Leverkusen players and fans celebrate wildly around the stadium.

The amazing comeback against Qarabag did not only extend Bayer Leverkusen unbeaten run to 37 games across all competitions but also adds further intrigue to what has been a stellar campaign for the Bundesliga club. Xabi Alonso has done a great job at Leverkusen but he is likely to leave at the end of the season as he has job offers at Bayern Munich and Premier League club Liverpool.