A year after offering Italy its first European trophy (Europa League Conference) since the Champions League which he won in 2010 with Inter Milan, José Mourinho can fill his panoply with a new continental trophy at the end of the month: after the draw (0-0) obtained in Leverkusen, he will play in the Europa League final with AS Roma. And for those who still doubted it, AS Roma was modeled in its image. She had come to suffer in the Ruhr, and she suffered, putting most of her energy into resisting, slowing down the match or even stopping it.
A one-sided game, finished with 22 shots against 1 for Lerverkusen. But only one qualified, AS Roma. Who unrolled a script in his hand. At the slightest shock and entry, the Italian players knew how to stay on the ground to gain time which was running in their favor, after his success in the first leg (1-0). Result, only German opportunities, with this strike from the right of Diaby on the bar, despite the closed angle, after his first tumble of the meeting (12th). Then Rui Patricio, the Roman goalkeeper, was not always academic, but he deflected Demirbay’s first shot (21st) and stopped the second (27th), barely stopped Amzoum’s header (29th) and saw Wirtz badly take advantage of a laser p from Diaby (40th).
After the break, AS Roma returned with even more obvious intentions: midfielder Wijnaldum replaced Belotti, and the Italians defended even lower, even more compact, to the point of experiencing only two real scares: this shot from Demirbay badly pushed back by Rui Patricio (67th) and cleared by Mancini in front of Amzoun, then this resumption of Amzoun next door (81st). With the incorporation of Adli (73rd), Xabi Alonso made his team lean a little more forward, while the slightest contact continued to encourage the entry of Italian trainers. But the Germans ran out of ideas, they also lost their cool in the face of Italian manners, and never found the opening to byp the bus posed in front of the Italian defence.