Bayer Leverkusen began their UEFA Europa League campaign impressively, defeating NK Celje 2-0 at the BayArena to extend their winning streak in the competition’s group stage/League Phase to seven matches.
The German side controlled large periods of the encounter, with an own goal from Svit Sešlar opening the scoring before Facundo Medina’s superb second-half volley sealed all three points.
Leverkusen Dominate Early Proceedings
Leverkusen entered the contest looking to make an immediate statement under new head coach Carles Martínez, and their attacking intent was evident from the opening stages.
Martin Terrier came agonizingly close when his long-range effort struck the post, while Edmond Tapsoba tested Celje goalkeeper Žan-Luk Leban with a dangerous header.
The pressure eventually paid off.
Aleix García delivered a cross into the penalty area, where Sešlar’s attempted clearance went horribly wrong and ended up in the bottom corner to hand Leverkusen a deserved 1-0 advantage.
Celje Test Mark Flekken
Despite Leverkusen’s dominance, Celje refused to disappear from the contest.
The Slovenian champions created several opportunities before half-time, forcing Mark Flekken into important saves. The Leverkusen goalkeeper produced an excellent double stop to deny Benjamin Verbič before making another impressive intervention against Sešlar.
Those saves kept the hosts’ narrow advantage intact at the break.
Facundo Medina Seals the Victory
Leverkusen continued pushing forward after the restart.
Facundo Medina initially saw a header saved by Leban, while substitute Afonso Moreira almost doubled the advantage when his long-range attempt was pushed onto the crossbar.
The breakthrough arrived from the resulting corner.
Medina connected beautifully with the delivery and fired a sweet volley into the net to make it 2-0, effectively ending Celje’s hopes of completing a comeback.
Leverkusen Extend Impressive Europa League Run
The final whistle confirmed another convincing European result for the Werkself.
Leverkusen have now won seven consecutive Europa League group stage/League Phase matches. In comparison, they are also unbeaten across their latest three matches in all competitions, scoring at least twice in each.
For Celje, the defeat continues a difficult spell. The Slovenian outfit have managed just one victory from their last seven matches despite showing glimpses of attacking promise at the BayArena.
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Final Thoughts
Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-0 victory over NK Celje was a composed start to their Europa League campaign. Their relentless attacking pressure, combined with crucial saves from Flekken and Medina’s spectacular finish, ultimately proved too much for the Slovenian champions.
With seven consecutive victories at this stage of the Europa League, Leverkusen have once again demonstrated their strength in the competition. Celje showed enough attacking ambition to cause occasional problems, but the hosts’ superior quality ultimately decided the night.
