Bayer Leverkusen snatch last-gasp point against Roma in eight-goal thriller
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Updated 20/10/2015 at 22:11 GMT
Champions League, BayArena, Bayer Leverkusen 4 (Hernandez 4, 19, Kampl 84, Mehmedi 86) Roma 4 (De Rossi 29, 38, Pjanic 54, Falque 73)
Radja Nainggolan - Bayer Leverkusen-Roma - 2015 - Champions League
Image credit: AFP
Substitute Admir Mehmedi grabbed a late leveller to earn Bayer Leverkusen an unlikely point in a 4-4 goal feast against Roma.
The hosts stormed into a 2-0 lead, before Roma turned the match on its head to lead 4-2 with just six minutes left.
However, after Kevin Kampl had curled a superb strike past Wojciech Szczesny in the Roma goal to put his side back in it, Medmedi popped up at the back post to complete the second comeback of the night.
Bayer were fasted out of the blocks, and took an early lead after Vasilis Torosidis handed in the box to concede a penalty, which former Manchester United hitman Javier Hernandez converted with aplomb.
Roma couldn’t cope with the hosts high pressing game, and after giving the ball away cheaply Hernandez punished the Giallorossi to double Bayer’s lead, and tighten their control of the encounter.
However, against the run of play, Roma skipper Daniele De Rossi had other ideas, and got his side back in it with a back-post finish after Bayer failed to clear a corner.
The momentum swung completely in the visitors’ favour, and De Rossi made the pressure tell, bundling home from a Miralem Pjanic free-kick to level proceedings.
After the break Roma picked up where they had left off, and Pjanic completed the comeback with a sublime free-kick, leaving Bernd Leno no chance in the Bayer goal.
The hosts pressed for an equaliser, but left themselves open to the counter, as Gervinho outpaced the Bayer backline to square for Falque to seal the points, or so it seemed.
Out of the blue, Kampl curled past Szczesny, before Mehmedi sensationally tapped home to send the BayArena into raptures.
The result is not the end of the world for Rudi Garcia’s men, but the meeting of these two in Rome in two weeks time holds greater significance now for winless Roma, with Group E finely poised.
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Leverkusen's Slovenian midfielder Kevin Kampl (L) vies with Roma´s English defender Lucas Digne during the Group E
Image credit: AFP
KEY MOMENTS
3’ - PENALTY! Strange one. Hakan Calhanoglu appealed for handball after his cross came off the outstretched arm of Vasilis Torosidis. The referee waved away appeals initially, then changed his mind!
4’ - GOAL! Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Roma. Hernandez steps up and sends Wojciech Szczesny the wrong way from the spot. Another wretched start from Roma.
19’ – GOAL! Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Roma. Woeful defending from the visitors allows Hernandez to grab his second and give the hosts a deserved two-goal lead. This 'Gegenpressing' from Bayer is causing Roma all sorts of problems.
29’ - GOAL! Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Roma. Lifeline for the visitors! The skipper De Rossi prods the Serie A side back in it. Didn't look like coming, and it was simple in its creation. Leno's poor punch only reaches the edge of the box, it is headed back in, and Rossi has time to take it down on his chest and squeeze the ball under Leno
33’ - CHANCE! Hernandez should have had a hat-trick. Bellarabi's cross looks like it will be incepted by Szczesny, but the Arsenal loanee misses it completely, Hernandez has an open goal to aim at, but heads into the ground and over.
38’ - GOAL! Bayern Leverkusen 2-2 Roma. What a game! It is the skipper De Rossi again. Florenzi's delivery from a free-kick is perfect, and the captain is on hand to bundle the ball in.
53’ - SAVE! All Gervinho's own work. Runs right through the heart of the Bayer backline, has the pace to get into the box, but Leno is out quickly to smother.
54’ - GOAL! Bayer Leverkusen 2-3 Roma! Comeback complete. It had to be Pjanic. He has been the best player on the pitch, and from some distance, the Bosnian curls a fantastic free-kick into the top corner.
70’ - WOODWORK! After Florenzi sees his powerful strike well saved by Leno, Falque heads the rebound onto the top of the crossbar.
73’ - GOAL! Bayer Leverkusen 2-4 Roma. Game over? Perfect counter from Roma, with Falque converting with ease to give his side a two-goal lead.
84’ - GOAL! Bayer Leverkusen 3-4 Roma. Maybe it is not over yet! Wonderful strike from Kampl, curling the ball in from outside the box.
86’ - GOAL! Bayer Leverkusen 4-4 Roma. Wow! What a game! Mehmedi taps in at the far post to square things up here! Would you believe it?
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Bayer Leverkusen-Roma - 2015 - Champions League
Image credit: AFP
KEY STATS
This is equal to the biggest draw in CL history. Earlier Chelsea - Liverpool (2009) and HSV - Juventus (2000).
Roma remains winless in their opening three main tournament matches of a Champions League campaign for the second time, after 2004/05 when they lost against Dynamo Kiev, Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen.
Roma equal their longest Champions League winless run (eight matches from March 2003 to December 2004).
Leverkusen scored their last two goals 1 minute and 52 seconds apart, the second fastest two goals by one team this season after Barcelona who scored twice against Leverkusen in 1 minute 31 seconds on 29 September.
Eight goals in one match is equal to Roma's Champions League record. They lost 7-1 to both Bayern München (21 October 2014) and Manchester United (10 April 2007) before.
TALKING POINT
Are these two too expansive? We expected goals from these two attack-minded sides, but are both coaches guilty of neglecting their defence? Bayer and Roma were both vulnerable at the back, and both adopted a high pressing game, which left them open on the counter. In Europe often the pragmatists prevail.
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Leverkusen's Javier Hernandez celebrates after scoring a goal during their Champions League group E soccer match against Roma in Leverkusen, Germany, October 20, 2015
Image credit: Reuters
MAN OF THE MATCH
Miralem Pjanic. A magician at times. Did not deserve to be on the losing side at the BayArena. His free-kick was superb, but it was his array of passing and crossing that stood out. Could maybe have had ore goals, but his creativity was second to none.
PLAYER RATINGS
BAYER LEVERKUSEN: Leno 7, Donati 6, Tah 6, Papadopoulos 7, Wendell 7, Kramer 6, Toprak 6, Kampl 7, Bellarabi 6, Chicharito 7, Calhanoglu 8... Subs: Mehmedi 7, Brandt 7, Yurchenko 6.
ROMA: Szczęsny 6, Rüdiger 6, Digne 6, Torosidis 5, Manolas 5, Nainggolan 6, Pjanić 8, De Rossi 8, Florenzi 7, Salah 7, Gervinho 7... Subs: Džeko 6, Falque 6.
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