As the number one goalkeeper of the Finnish national football team with Lukas Hradecky was a very good reason to celebrate on Thursday after the second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals.
Bayer Leverkusen, captained by Hradecky, beat their quarter-final opponent Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in Brussels with 4–1 goals. The combined goals went to the German club 5-2 and Leverkusen advances to the semi-final stage for the first time in more than 20 years in Europe. The last time it played in the spring of 2002 was in the semi-finals of the Champions League, going all the way to the final.
The joy was palpable as the Leverkusen supporters who traveled to Belgium and the team celebrated together after the match.
– The energy between our team and our supporters is incredible. They still celebrate on the field together. This is the best in football. However, we still have a long way to go, let’s see where it takes us in the end, Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso comment according to your company (you will switch to another service) after the game is over.
In Europe, Leverkusen’s journey continues to Rome. AS Roma won their quarter-final tie against Feyenoord, meaning Alonso will be piloting Leverkusen under his former coach Jose Mourinho against in the semi-finals.
Big night for Casper Terho, dark for his teammate
For the small club of Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, getting to the quarter-finals was already a great achievement in itself. The club from the outskirts of Brussels has risen rapidly from the lower league levels of Belgium to become the country’s champion and the bane of Europe’s big clubs.
Still, there was something to worry about in the second leg. Leverkusen took the lead after only 66 seconds of play after Union’s defense fell asleep and the goalkeeper by Anthony Morris misjudged his reception. For Moussa Diaby left an easy place to pass Moris and place the ball in the goal.
The easy opening goal clearly weighed on Moris, as the Luxembourger made more mistakes in the struggle.
The 3-0 goal in the second half was the worst. Moris received a difficult pass from his defenders and Leverkusen Mitchell Bakker ran to pressure him greedily. Moris slipped while kicking the ball, opening it right up to the red shirts by Jeremie Frimpong on. The winger had an easy place to put the ball into an empty goal.
When in the fourth goal, Moris blocked the ball from a small corner directly Adam Hlozek to finish, the Luxembourg goalkeeper’s horrible night was finished.
The only glimmer of light for the Union was provided by a Finn. A 19-year-old who joined the club in January Casper Terho came in for the second episode, using his screen space effectively. Terho scored Union’s only goal, which was also his first for the Belgian club.
Mourinho vs Alonso
Leverkusen, on the other hand, has risen from the bottom of its early season. The team was in serious difficulties in the fall, until Alonso took over the coaching responsibility in October.
The Spaniard has made the team play as a tight unit and attack dangerously. Leverkusen has made a rise in the Bundesliga standings as well and is now fighting for the European places for next season as well.
First, however, we will fight for a place in the Europa League final.
The head coach of the incoming AS Roma, Jose Mourinho, coached Xabi Alonso during his playing career at Real Madrid. At that time, the Portuguese pilot called his trusted player “metronome”, the pacer of the game, and praised him for becoming a great manager when his playing career ends. Now the two face each other in front of the changing benches.
After Mourinho’s Roma was eliminated by Feyenoord’s 4-1 extra-time win, the Portuguese was confident as usual.
– They have an excellent team, but we were superior, Mourinho said According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (you will switch to another service) at the press conference.
ManU pilot furious
Manchester United, on the other hand, was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Europa League when it suffered a dull 0-3 defeat away from Sevilla. The first leg in Manchester had ended 2–2, although ManU led 2–0.
Yesterday, Sevilla’s two goals came from obvious mistakes by United’s defense. ManU head coach Erik ten Hag was According to the BBC (you will switch to another service) hopping mad.
– This was a great opportunity to win something and we gave it away. We can only blame ourselves, ten Hag stated.
– This is unacceptable. We lost the duels, they had more passion, more desire, more will.
United face Brighton on Sunday in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. In the Premier League, the team is tied for the Champions League spot.
ManU couldn’t get anything going in attack when Bruno Fernandes was suspended. A pair of tops Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelöf played badly, and not the star of the midfield Even Casemiro was on par.
The BBC wrote that without injuries Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez United simply aren’t good enough in defense and that definitely needs to be strengthened in the summer.
Experts commented to the BBC that some of ManU’s players are currently gambling on their future with the club. In that respect, the Sevilla match could have been fatal for many.
A United legend Paul Scholes stated that the only good thing about the Sevilla move was that Erik ten Hag was able to form a clear opinion on the continuation of some players at the club.
– This showed that the team is not good enough when there are injuries. The team can handle other matches, but in big matches with a strong atmosphere, it underperforms, Scholes reflected.
United’s star goalkeeper too David De Gea got the rap. De Gea has made the most errors leading to goals of all players in the Premier League this season. The Spaniard saves brilliantly, but shines when playing with his feet.
That’s why experts saw that he might not fit Erik ten Hag’s philosophy. De Gea and ManU’s extension contract negotiations are in progress.
– De Gea has been a great servant for the club and a great defender. But he’s not good on foot. Does he fit ten Hag’s philosophy? Based on today, no, the former United gambler Owen Hargreaves comment.
Men’s Europa League – 2nd matches of the quarter-finals on Thursday:
Sevilla–Manchester United 3–0 (2–2)
Sporting Lisbon–Juventus 1–1 (0–1)
Union Saint-Gilloise–Leverkusen 1–4 (1–1)
SG: Casper Terho as a substitute in the 46th minute. Terho scored in the 65th minute.
L: Lukas Hradecky played the whole match.
AS Roma–Feyenoord and. 4–1 (0–1)
In the two-legged semi-final, Sevilla will face Juventus and Roma will face Leverkusen. Match pairs will be played on May 11 and 18.