Leverkusen beat Roma to put one foot in Europa League final

Rome: BayerLeverkusenhave one foot in the Europa League final after winning 2 0 at Roma on Thursday to extend their remarkable unbeaten run to 47 matc...

Rome: Bayer Leverkusen have one foot in the Europa League final after winning 2-0 at Roma on Thursday to extend their remarkable unbeaten run to 47 matches.

Goals in each half from Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich ensured victory for Xabi Alonso's men in the Italian capital and gave the Bundesliga champions a great chance of reaching the final in Dublin later this month.

Leverkusen will meet either Atalanta or Marseille in Ireland should they hold out in Germany next week. On the evidence of their performance in Rome they will be firm favourites to win their first European trophy since the old UEFA Cup in 1988.

Alonso's team have needed a string of last gasp goals to keep their unbeaten run going in recent weeks but there was no need for any frantic finishes in the Italian capital as Leverkusen's superiority was fully on display.