Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 West Ham: Late goals put Xabi Alonso’s host on top Europa League quarter-final

[Pelican Press 0]

Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 West Ham: Late goals put Xabi Alonso’s host on top Europa League quarter-final

Jonas Hofmann came off the bench to break West Ham’s resistance

Bayer Leverkusen scored twice in the last 10 minutes to break West Ham’s resistance and take the advantage after the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.

Jonas Hofmann fired through a crowd of bodies for Xabi Alonso’s side after the visitors struggled to clear a corner with seven minutes remaining.

Victor Boniface then doubled the lead in the first minute of injury time with a well-directed header from Hofmann’s cross.

Alonso’s hosts dominated possession but were largely frustrated by a superbly organised Hammers defence until Hofmann’s late intervention.

The visitors showed great discipline to limit Leverkusen’s chances for much of the game while also offering a threat on the counter through the pace and power of Michail Antonio.

Antonio created arguably the best opportunity of the first half as he broke down the left and squared for Mohammed Kudus, but the Ghana winger’s shot was straight at Leverkusen goalkeeper Matej Kovar.

West Ham did need a couple of very smart saves from Lukasz Fabianski to keep Leverkusen at bay for as long as they did.

The 38-year-old keeper got down well to deny Patrick Schick in the first half before leaping to tip the striker’s header over the bar in the second when he looked to have been wrong-footed.

Hofmann finally found a way past Fabianski and when Boniface nodded in the second, Leverkusen were assured of victory to stretch their unbeaten run to 42 matches.

Big ask for Hammers after plan comes unstuck late on

David Moyes’ strategy was evident from the off. West Ham were content to sit deep, frustrate their hosts and look to break when the opportunity arose.

They so nearly ********* it to perfection, with Leverkusen failing to create any clear chances in the first hour or more.

Ultimately, though, the pressure told and the Hammers must now end the ******* side’s unbeaten run – and do it in some style – to progress.

That Antonio was a nuisance throughout and caused defender Jonathan Tah plenty of problems will give them encouragement, while getting Jarrod Bowen back fit for the second leg would also be a huge boon.

Even more so given they will be without Emerson Palmieri and, crucially, Lucas Paqueta through suspension after they were yellow carded.

West Ham overturned a first-leg deficit to beat ******* opposition handsomely in the last round.

A repeat will take some doing but all is not lost – and if they can score the first goal at London Stadium next week, belief will soon return to a Hammers side that is increasingly savvy in ********* competition.

Leverkusen leave it late again

The ******* top-flight leaders have made late goals a habit this season and scored twice deep into stoppage time to beat Qarabag in the last 16.

This wasn’t quite as dramatic but they were still made to wait by a stubborn West Ham side.

Despite that, though, Leverkusen never showed any sort of panic as they attacked the Hammers relentlessly, looking for any space to exploit around the penalty area.

As it was, it took two set-pieces break down the visitors, with Hofmann shinning a volley through a crowded penalty area after the initial ball in was not cleared.

He then provided the cross following a short corner with Boniface rising highest at the back post to head home his 17th goal of the season.

The job is not done for Alonso’s team but they know how to win – and with a healthy advantage going into the second leg, they will be confident of advancing to the semi-finals.

Line-ups

B Leverkusen

Formation 3-4-2-1

17Kovár

2Stanisic4Tah12Tapsoba

30Frimpong25Palacios34Xhaka20Grimaldo

10Wirtz21Adli

14Schick

• 17Kovár
• 2StanisicSubstituted forHincapiéat 66′minutes
• 4Tah
• 12Tapsoba
• 30FrimpongSubstituted forTellaat 67′minutes
• 25Palacios
• 34Xhaka
• 20Grimaldo
• 10Wirtz
• 21AdliSubstituted forHofmannat 76′minutes
• 14SchickSubstituted forBonifaceat 76′minutes

Substitutes

• 1Hrádecky
• 3Hincapié
• 6Kossounou
• 7Hofmann
• 8Andrich
• 9Iglesias
• 13de Matos Soares
• 19Tella
• 22Boniface
• 32Puerta
• 36Lomb

West Ham

Formation 3-4-2-1

1Fabianski

15Mavropanos4Zouma3Cresswell

5Coufal28Soucek7Ward-Prowse33Emerson

14Kudus10Lucas Paquetá

9Antonio

• 1Fabianski
• 15MavropanosSubstituted forAguerdat 86′minutes
• 4Zouma
• 3Cresswell
• 5Coufal
• 28Soucek
• 7Ward-Prowse
• 33EmersonBooked at 56mins
• 14KudusSubstituted forJohnsonat 86′minutes
• 10Lucas PaquetáBooked at 21mins
• 9Antonio

Substitutes

• 2Johnson
• 17Cornet
• 18Ings
• 21Ogbonna
• 27Aguerd
• 40Earthy
• 42Casey
• 45Mubama
• 49Anang
• 55Knightbridge
• 61Orford

Referee:

Artur Manuel Soares Dias

Live Text

1. Match ends, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2, West Ham ******* 0.

2. Second Half ends, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2, West Ham ******* 0.

3. Attempt saved. Granit Xhaka (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jonas Hofmann.

4. Goal! Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2, West Ham ******* 0. Victor Boniface (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Jonas Hofmann with a cross following a corner.

5. Corner, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Conceded by Vladimír Coufal.

6. Attempt missed. Jonathan Tah (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is just a bit too high following a set piece situation.

7. Attempt blocked. Jonathan Tah (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.

8. Attempt blocked. Granit Xhaka (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

9. Attempt blocked. Jonathan Tah (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is blocked.

10. Granit Xhaka (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick on the left wing.

11. Foul by Ben Johnson (West Ham *******).

12. Attempt missed. Victor Boniface (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Florian Wirtz with a cross.

13. Delay over. They are ready to continue.

14. Substitution, West Ham *******. Nayef Aguerd replaces Konstantinos Mavropanos.

15. Substitution, West Ham *******. Ben Johnson replaces Mohammed Kudus.

16. Delay in match because of an injury Konstantinos Mavropanos (West Ham *******).

17. Goal! Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1, West Ham ******* 0. Jonas Hofmann (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner following a corner.

18. Attempt blocked. Victor Boniface (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jonathan Tah with a headed pass.

19. Corner, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Conceded by Kurt Zouma.

20. Attempt saved. Florian Wirtz (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Exequiel Palacios.

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