AS Roma earn a slim advantage over Bayer Leverkusen

By Peter Ochieng 

Italian Serie A side AS Roma registered a slim 1-0 win over Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of the Europa League semi final, on Thursday night.

20-year-old Edoardo Bove was the hero on the night as he scored for Roma in the second half.

The game was a clash of teacher against student, with Bayer manager Xabi Alonso having played under AS Roma's Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid for three seasons.

In Turin, another Serie A side Juventus came from behind to draw 1-1 against Spanish team, Sevilla.

Federico Gatti scored a 97th-minute equaliser, long after Morrocan Youssef En-Nesyri's 26th minute goal for Sevilla.

Return legs will be played on Thursday next week, as Bayer host AS Roma, while Sevilla welcome Juventus.

The winners will have a date in the final at the Puskas Arena, in Budapest, Hungary on May 31, 2023.

Meanwhile, in the first leg semis of the third tier UEFA Conference League, English representatives West Ham United beat Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, 2-1, while Basel registered a 2-1 win away, against Fiorentina.

Second legs are on next week, before winners clash in the final on June 07, 2022 in Prague, Czech Republic.

AS Roma won the inaugural EUFA Conference League title last season.