Leverkusen triumphs, Marseille stumbles in Europa League Quarter-finals
In the first leg of the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, Bayer Leverkusen maintained their exceptional form with a convincing 2-0 victory over West Ham. Leverkusen’s dominance was evident as they controlled the game, eventually breaking the deadlock in the 37th minute of the second half through Hofmann’s goal. Just before halftime, Boniface doubled their lead with a well-taken strike, putting Leverkusen in a commanding position.
However, the win came at a cost as midfielder Lucas Paquetá received a yellow card, ruling him out for the return leg against West Ham.
On the other hand, Marseille faced a challenging away fixture against Benfica and suffered a 2-1 defeat.
Benfica took the lead early on with a goal from Rafa Silva in the 16th minute, putting Marseille on the back foot.
The situation worsened for Marseille as Merlin was forced off due to injury.
Despite their efforts to mount a comeback, Marseille found themselves further behind when Angel Di Maria scored for Benfica in the 52nd minute.
Aubameyang provided a glimmer of hope for Marseille by pulling one back in the 67th minute, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 2-1 loss.
The stage is now set for an intense second leg at the Vélodrome next week, where Marseille will look to overturn the deficit and secure a spot in the semi-finals.
