Union Saint-Gilloise v Bayer Leverkusen Live Commentary & Result, 20/04/23, UEFA Europa League

Thanks for joining our commentary today. Until next time, goodbye.

Leverkusen will now face either Feyenoord or Roma in the last four. The German outfit take on RB Leipzig in a crucial Bundesliga showdown at home on Sunday. Union Saint-Gilloise are in a title battle with Genk on the final day of the Belgian First Division season, and are on the road in need of a victory against Kortrijk on the same day.

Bayer Leverkusen advance to the semi-finals of the Europa League with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise, securing the tie 5-2 on aggregate. Moussa Diaby handed Leverkusen the perfect start with a goal within 67 seconds before Mitchel Bakker extended their advantage completing a sublime team move. A mistake from Anthony Moris presented Jeremie Frimpong with a simple third. And although Casper Terho got one back for the hosts, Adam Hlozek notched Leverkusen's fourth to end the game.

90' + 4' FULL-TIME: UNION SAINT-GILLOISE 1-4 BAYER LEVERKUSEN (2-5 AGG)

90' + 3' Lynen cuts the ball back for Puertas on the edge of the box, but he sends a tame effort that Hradecky saves with ease.

90' + 2' Azmoun is played behind the Union defence twice in the space of 30 seconds. On the first occasion, he loses out to a brilliant tackle from Machida. And second time around, he takes a terrible touch and loses the ball straight to Moris.

90' There will be three minutes of added time.

88' CHANCE! Bellarabi is played through on goal by Azmoun and only has Moris to beat, but the keeper spreads himself to save the weak effort from the Leverkusen sub.

O. El Azzouzi

T. Teuma

87' El Azzouzi replaces Teuma for the closing stages.

K. Bellarabi

M. Diaby

86' Bellarabi replaces Diaby for the final four minutes. Diaby broke the game open for the visitors with his early strike.

S. Azmoun

A. Hložek

86' Hlozek is withdrawn by Alonso after a good night in front of goal with a strike and assist. Azmoun replaces the forward.

83' OVER! Lynen lines up an ambitious effort from the edge of the box, but his effort sails well over the bar.

81' Lapoussin cuts in from the left flank and shoots on his right foot. He connects well with his strike, but it drifts wide of the right post.

G. Nilsson

V. Boniface

81' Nilsson enters the action to replace Boniface, who could have brought Union back into the game.

Cameron Puertas

L. Amani

81' Lazare makes way for the home side and is replaced by Puertas.

A. Hložek

Goal

79' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! HLOZEK FINDS THE NET!!!!! 4-1!!!! Leverkusen end the Union rally as Hlozek scores on the rebound. Diaby finds space in the Union box and fires at goal on his left foot. Moris makes a decent stop, but the rebound falls straight to Hlozek to convert on his right foot. Surely it's game over now.

77' Wirtz directs a cross into the box from the left flank from a free-kick, but Kossounou can only send his header tamely into the hands of Moris.

T. Teuma

Yellow Card

75' Teuma brings down Diaby on the charge and goes into the book.

75' SAVE! Boniface collects in the inside-left channel and his strike is deflected towards goal forcing Hradecky to punch it away. Lynen latches onto the rebound and fires at goal, only to see his effort charged down by Andrich.

72' Union are asking all the questions now. They're playing with great intensity and Leverkusen are struggling to keep them under control here.

A. Adli

J. Frimpong

71' Adli replaces Frimpong after an impressive outing from the wing-back.

69' Adingra hits the the post, but the offside flag goes up late against the forward after he latched onto Boniface's pass in the inside-left channel.

67' CLOSE! Boniface should bring the home side back into the contest, but he fails to connect with a cross at the back post. Teuma floats a perfect ball for the striker to attack and he only needs a touch. Instead of connecting with the ball, Boniface collides with the post.

L. Lapoussin

Assist

64' Lapoussin coasts pasts a challenge and digs out a cross from the byline to find Terho, who finds the back of the net.

C. Terho

Goal

64' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!! TERHO GIVES UNION A GLIMMER OF HOPE!!!!! 3-1!!!! Terho latches on to Lapoussin's cross and his left-footed strike is deflected past Hradecky. Leverkusen fail to clear their lines from a free-kick and Lapoussin does well down the left flank to beat one challenge and pick out Terho in space. He takes a touch before curling a shot towards goal that is helped into the net with a ricochet.

63' Terho draws a foul from Bakker on the right flank, handing the home side a free-kick in a useful position.

62' WIDE! Teuma slides an offload towards Adingra in the final third and he takes a neat touch before he drags his left-footed strike harmlessly wide of the target.

M. Bakker

Assist

60' Bakker continues his impressive outing as he closes down Moris and the deflection falls to Frimpong to score.

J. Frimpong

Goal

60' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! FRIMPONG MAKES IT THREE!!!!!! 3-0 LEVERKUSEN!!!!! A nightmare for Moris as Frimpong surely sends Leverkusen through to the last four. Burgess puts Moris under pressure at the back with a backpass, and the keeper is then closed down by Bakker after taking a poor touch. The loose ball falls perfectly for Frimpong to fire into an empty net. That goal sums up Union's night.

O. Kossounou

E. Tapsoba

59' Kossounou is on for Tapsoba at the back for Leverkusen.

K. Demirbay

N. Amiri

59' Amiri makes way for the visitors and is replaced by Demirbay.

58' Frimong surges down the right flank and drills a low ball into the box that Hlozek can only steer behind off his shin.

55' Union have come out for the second half with a stronger intent and are asking questions of the Leverkusen backline. They still need a goal to get back into the game.

53' Lazare twists and turns his way into the box in a central position before he goes down under pressure from Andrich. The Union fans want a penalty, but the referee tells the midfielder to get to his feet.

52' Union work the ball well in the final third and Adingra has space to shoot, only to see his effort charged down before Andrich sweeps away the rebound.

51' OVER! Lapoussin angles a cross into the box towards the back post from the left flank for Boniface to attack. The forward rises, but cannot get over his header and plants it over the bar.

48' Although Lazare's effort went comfortably over the bar, it is a better signal of intent from the hosts. They need an early goal to ignite a spark here.

46' OVER! Lynen works the ball to Lazare in the final third and he takes aim, only to lift his strike over the bar.

46' We're back under way in this Europa League clash.

C. Terho

I. Kandouss

46' Terho replaces Kandouss for the home side at the break.

Union Saint-Gilloise have been off the pace in the contest and have not threatened to put Leverkusen under any pressure at the back. The Belgian outfit need to find a way of getting the next goal otherwise their Europa League campaign will be ending tonight.

Goals from Moussa Diaby and Mitchel Bakker have put Bayer Leverkusen on course of a place in the Europa League semi-finals, leading Union Saint-Gilloise 2-0 at the break in their second leg clash. Diaby scored after just 67 seconds, capitalising on a loose ball in the Union box. The German outfit extended their advantage with a sublime move that Bakker converted from close range. Xabi Alonso will be delighted with his team's first-half performance.

45' + 2' HALF-TIME: UNION SAINT-GILLOISE 0-2 BAYER LEVERKUSEN (1-3 AGG)

45' + 2' Bakker causes further problems for Union in the final third before he offloads to Diaby, but the forward is closed down before he can fire at goal.

45' There will be two minutes of added time.

45' Lazare catches Hincapie with a late boot and is fortunate to escape without a booking.

42' OVER! Teuma curls the resulting free-kick into the box for Machida to attack with a thumping header, only to place his effort over the bar.

40' Diaby brings down Adingra down the left flank, handing Union a free-kick in a useful position.

A. Hložek

Assist

37' Hlozek collects Diaby's pass and then lifts a delivery into the middle for Bakker to attack and score.

M. Bakker

Goal

37' WHAT A GOAL!!! BAKKER FINISHES A SUBLIME LEVERKUSEN MOVE!!!! 2-0 ON THE NIGHT!!!!! Leverkusen take a huge step towards the semi-finals with a sensational team move that Bakker completes with a composed finish. Diaby uses his pace to run at the Union defence before he offloads to Hlozek in stride in the inside-right channel. The forward spots an unmarked Bakker in the middle and picks him out with a perfect cross. Bakker meets the cross first-time and guides his left-footed strike past Moris.

35' Nieuwkoop is also feeling the pain for Union after taking a blow in a challenge. It would be a massive blow for the hosts to lose a second player to injury in the first half.

33' Lapoussin angles a cross from the left flank towards the near post for Adingra to attack, but he cannot contact on the stretch amid pressure from Tapsoba.

S. Adingra

Y. Vertessen

32' Adingra replaces the injured Vertessen for the home side in the final third.

31' Vertessen is struggling for the hosts after stretching for the ball and he will have to make way here.

29' Nieuwkoop has the chance to surge forward for the hosts, but he takes the ball straight into traffic as Bakker and Tah converge to guide it out for a goal-kick.

27' Frimpong has another burst down the right flank and wins a corner off the legs of Machida. Leverkusen are finding plenty of space in the wide areas.

25' Andrich looks for Frimpong with a diagonal ball to the right flank, but the wing-back strays offside by a fraction.

24' The visitors are dominating in the final third at the moment. Wirtz is having another stellar game and is cutting open the hosts with his incisive play.

22' CLOSE! Bakker is afforded space and time down the left flank and he delivers a perfect low cross into the middle that both Hlozek and Diaby fail to turn home in the Union box.

19' Wirtz is in the right place at the right time for Leverkusen tracking back as he regains possession following a loose offload from Boniface.

16' WIDE! Wirtz releases Diaby into space in the final third and he takes on the strike early from the angle, but places his effort wide of the right post.

13' Diaby scored after just 67 seconds is the fastest goal in the Europa League this season.

11' Vertessen is played into space down the inside-left channel by Teuma. Hincapie gets across and does enough to win back possession as he bundles the forward off the ball.

8' BLOCK! Wirtz releases Frimpong down the right flank with a sublime flick and the wing-back surges into the Union box. He lines up a drive at goal that is diverted behind by Lazare.

7' Boniface twists and turns down the left flank and fires a low ball towards the near post, but it is deflected behind by Tapsoba.

4' Union look to hit back as Vertessen collects in the final third and spots Boniface in space. He lines up a first-time drive that is charged down by Tah.

M. Diaby

Goal

2' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! DIABY PUTS LEVERKUSEN AHEAD!!!!! 1-0!!!! The visitors take the lead as Diaby rounds Moris and slots the ball home. Fortune is on Leverkusen's side as a loose ball falls perfectly for the forward in the box. There is still work for Diaby to do, but he holds his composure to evade the Union keeper before placing his effort into the net. A great start for Alonso's men.

1' We're under way at the Lotto Arena.

This will be Union Saint-Gilloise’s third consecutive home UEFA Europa League match against a German side – they faced 1. FC Union Berlin twice, losing one (1-0 in the group stage) and winning the other (3-0 in the last 16).

Leverkusen have made two changes to their side from their draw against Wolfsburg in their last outing. Tah returns to the middle of the defence alongside Tapsoba and Hincapie, while Bakker gets the nod at left wing-back. Kossounou and Demirbay make way for the German outfit to the bench.

Union have made five changes to their side that beat RFC Seraing last time out. Nieuwkoop, Kandouss, Lapoussin, Lynen, Lazare and Boniface are all restored to the line-up as El Azzouzi, Sykes, Terho, Puertas, Nilsson and Adingra make way.

BAYER LEVERKUSEN SUBS: Odilon Kossounou, Sardar Azmoun, Kerem Demirbay, Amine Adli, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Patrick Pentz, Ayman Azhil, Niklas Lomb, Karim Bellarabi.

BAYER LEVERKUSEN (3-4-3): Lukas Hradecky; Edmond Tapsoba, Piero Hincapie, Jonathan Tah; Jeremie Frimpong, Nadiem Amiri, Robert Andrich, Mitchel Bakker; Moussa Diaby, Adam Hlozek, Florian Wirtz.

UNION SAINT-GILLOISE SUBS: Oussama El Azzouzi, Dennis Eckert, Simon Adingra, Joachim Imbrechts, Casper Terho, Cameron Puertas, Ross Sykes, Gustaf Nilsson, Imad Fellous, Nathan Huygevelde.

UNION SAINT-GILLOISE (4-3-3): Anthony Moris; Bart Nieuwkoop, Ismal Kandouss, Christian Burgess, Koki Machida; Senne Lynen, Teddy Teuma, Loic Lapoussin; Yorbe Vertessen, Jean Lazare, Victor Boniface.

Leverkusen would have been delighted to have secured a 1-1 draw in the contest on home soil courtesy of Wirtz's late equaliser. Xabi Alonso's men are now all square for the contest and will be hopeful of putting the pressure back on the Belgian outfit tonight. Leverkusen's push towards the top four of the Bundesliga was halted in a goalless draw with Wolfsburg last time out. But, they can now turn their attention to reaching their first European semi-final in over 20 years. Today is a huge test of their mettle on the road against a talented outfit.

The two sides played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the BayArena as Florian Wirtz scored late on to level for the German outfit to cancel out Victor Boniface's opener. Union Saint-Gilloise have a huge chance to advance to the semi-finals of the Europa League for the first time to continue their dramatic rise under the ownership of Tony Bloom and manager Karel Geraerts. Union Saint-Gilloise defeated RFC Seraing last time out to keep the pressure on Genk at the top of the Belgian A League in their quest to snatch the crown away. Today is the start of an important week for the Belgian outfit.

Hello and welcome to the live commentary of the Europa League quarter-final second leg clash between Union Saint-Gilloise and Bayer Leverkusen at Lotto Park.

Union Saint-Gilloise v Bayer Leverkusen Live Commentary, 21/04/23

Key Events

Match Stats

Commentary