AS Roma To The Europa League Final, Jose Mourinho Makes A Classy Statement

AS Roma coach, Jose Mourinho. (Twitter/@OfficialASRoma)

JAKARTA - AS Roma stepped into the 2022/2023 Europa League final after a 0-0 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg of the last four, Friday, May 19, early in the morning WIB. Roma qualified for the top party with a 1-0 aggregate advantage.

AS Roma will certainly face Sevilla in the final match. The Spanish club advanced to the top party by eliminating another Italian representative, Juventus.

This is the sixth final for Jose Mourinho in European competitions throughout his coaching career. He also had the opportunity to be included in the Giallorossi history book.

However, Mourinho didn't think about it. He just wanted to focus on bringing Lorenzo Pellegrini and his friends to continue to grow.

"My focus is not to be included in Roma's history book. But helping players to thrive, achieving something important," Mourinho told Sky Sport.

"Also helping Roma fans who have given me so much since the first day of arrival. It was an extraordinary joy to reach another final," continued the Portuguese man.

Leverkusen immediately appeared to attack and almost scored in the 11th minute. Moussa Diaby dribbled into the penalty box before unleashing a shot that still hit the top right post of the AS Roma goal.

The home team threatened again with Kerem Demirbay's kick from outside the penalty box in the 20th and 26th minutes. However, the two attempts were saved by goalkeeper Rui Patricio.

Another attempt from Leverkusen has yet to bear fruit in the 36th minute. ZZar Azmoun's shot was right at Patricio. The first half finished without a goal.

Leverkusen, who wanted to score, started the second half by increasing the intensity of the attack. Meanwhile, Roma are increasingly closing their defenses.

The Azmoun experiment in the 66th minute was still pointing right into Patricio's hands and was dumped by Gianluca Mancini before being struck by Leverkusen's players. The Portuguese goalkeeper saved Roma's goal several times from Leverkusen's attack.

AS Roma managed to maintain their 1-0 aggregate advantage until the game was over, as reported by Antara.

Line-up:

Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-2-1): Lukas Hradecky; Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah (Nadiem Amiri 86'), Piero Hincapie; Jeremie Frimpong, Kerem Demirbay, Exequiel Palacios (Hlozek 80'), Mitchel Bakker (Amine Adli 73'); Moussa Diaby, Sardar Azmoun, Florian Wirtz

AS Roma (3-5-2): Rui Patricio; Gianluca Mancini, Bryan Cristante, Ibanez; Mehmet Zeki Celik (Chris Smalling 78'), Edoardo Bove, Nemanja Matic, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Leonardo Spinazzola (Nicola Zalewski 34'); Andrea Belotti (Georginio Wijnaldum 46'), Tammy Abraham