Granit Xhaka made history by matching an incredible Europa League record while starring for Bayer Leverkusen in their dramatic victory over AS Roma.
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Xhaka a key figure in Leverkusen's title chargeSet up his team's equaliser in stoppage timeMatched Juan Mata's unique UEL recordWHAT HAPPENED?
Xabi Alonos's side remained true to their colours as they staged another incredible comeback, this time against the Serie A outfit in a crucial Europa League semi-final tie, from being 2-0 down to keep their treble hopes alive. Roma punished them for not making the most of their chances but Leverkusen pulled up their socks in the nick of time to secure their passage to Dublin – thanks to an own goal from Gianluca Mancini and a late equaliser from Josip Stanisic, set up by Xhaka.
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The former Arsenal midfielder has been in dynamic form this season for Leverkusen and put in another masterclass performance when the stakes were high. In the process, Xhaka carved out a staggering 10 chances from open play to match Juan Mata's more than a decade-old record for Valencia against Club Brugge.
WHAT XHAKA SAID
Xhaka admitted to having goosebumps after the victory at a raucous Bay Arena as the crowd went berserk at the final whistle.
"We are in the final, it’s a dream come true," he told
“I feel goosebumps! You dream of being able to experience such atmospheres and you live like this. As a boy you would like to be part of such matches, truly incredible to have equalised just before the end. Now we will fully enjoy this evening.
“We had clear opportunities, especially in the first half, but also in the second. Unfortunately, we conceded instead of scoring, but we came back against a team with a lot of experience. Not losing again is incredible, once again a great determination on our part."
DID YOU KNOW?
Leverkusen now boasts of having the longest unbeaten run (49) in European football history after they broke Benfica's record that had stood for 59 years. Stanisic's equaliser was the 17th time that Leverkusen had scored after the 90th minute in this campaign.