Victor Boniface‘s Bayer Leverkusen squad achieved a historic milestone by setting a new European unbeaten record of 49 consecutive games, securing a late draw against Roma to advance to the UEFA Europa League final.
In a thrilling encounter, Josip Stanisic’s goal with the final kick in the 97th minute sealed a 2-2 draw on the night and a 4-2 aggregate victory for Xabi Alonso’s side.
Despite holding a comfortable 2-0 lead from the first leg in Rome, Leverkusen faced a stern challenge as two penalties from Leandro Paredes for Roma levelled the aggregate score.
However, a crucial own goal from Gianluca Mancini swung the tie in Leverkusen’s favour before Stanisic’s late heroics ensured their place in history with yet another dramatic late goal.
Their remarkable unbeaten streak spans 49 games across all competitions, boasting an impressive 40 victories.
This surpasses the previous record set by Eusebio’s Benfica side between December 1963 and February 1965, marking a historic achievement in European football.
Alonso’s men, who are seeking a treble this season having won the Bundesliga title and also reached the German Cup final, will face Italian side Atalanta in the Europa League showpiece in Dublin on 22 May.
