Xabi Alonso’s men looked set for defeat in their Europa League semi-final against Roma, only to score in the 96th minute to secure a 2-2 draw and a 402 victory on aggregate. Of their 49 undefeated games across all competitions, Leverkusen had won 40 of those......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
They surpassed the 48-game unbeaten run of a Eusebio-led Benfica side, set between December 1963 and February 1965.
The Portuguese giants’ feat had stood alone as the longest unbeaten run since the advent of European competition, according to UEFA, until Leverkusen equalled it with a 5-1 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend.
Alonso’s side had already ended Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga dominance while their aggregate win against Roma has seen them reach their first European final in over two decades.
Alonso said before the Roma encounter: “We want to stay unbeaten and we know every week it gets tougher.”
He added: “If we have to lose some games, such as the second leg 1-0, we will not say no if it takes us to the final.
“Our mentality is to win every game and we will try to do this. Nothing is done and we’ve seen a lot of comebacks in football in the last year.
“You can never say the job is done.”
Leverkusen are in prime position to claim their first European trophy in 36 years.
They will face Atalanta in the final, with the Serie A outfit having dispatched Marseille 4-1.
More to follow…