Bayer Leverkusen secured a 2-0 victory over Roma in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, taking a significant advantage in the tie.
Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich scored the goals that handed the Bundesliga champions their second victory on Italian soil. Roma struggled offensively, managing only two shots on target and saw striker Romelu Lukaku largely isolated, leading to his substitution after 80 minutes.
Tammy Abraham, coming off the bench, missed a crucial opportunity to score in stoppage time which could have narrowed the deficit.
The match initially lacked flair, but Leverkusen broke the deadlock when Alex Grimaldo capitalized on a poor backpass, assisting Wirtz for his 18th goal of the season.
Roma responded with several attempts but failed to equalize before the break. Andrich then extended Leverkusen’s lead in the second half with a long-range strike into the top-left corner.
This win extends Xabi Alonso’s team’s unbeaten streak to 47 games across all competitions.