Leverkusen earn 2-0 victory at Roma in semis first leg

Bayer Leverkusen claimed a solid 2-0 victory over AS Roma in the first round of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday. Leverkusen's triumph was cemented by prominent goals from Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich.

The newly-crowned Bundesliga champions and German Cup finalists pulled ahead before the half-hour mark. The opening goal came courtesy of a well-executed low finish by Wirtz, capitalizing on a defensive blunder from Roma.

Andrich extended Leverkusen's lead in the 73rd minute with a formidable shot from outside the box. His strike flew under the bar, leaving Roma's goalkeeper, Mile Svilar, with no chance of deflecting it.

The second leg of the semi-final is set to be played in Leverkusen next Thursday. The victor of this competition will face either Olympique de Marseille or Atalanta in the final on May 22 at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.