Europa League: West Ham Bow Out Despite Home Draw
Late Leverkusen Goals Seal Aggregate Win
Bayer Leverkusen 1, West Ham United 1 (Leverkusen win 3-1 on aggregate)
West Ham United's Europa League campaign came to an end on Thursday, as they were eliminated by Bayer Leverkusen despite a 1-1 draw at the London Stadium. The Hammers, who lost 2-0 in the first leg in Germany, needed to overturn a two-goal deficit to progress to the semi-finals.
West Ham started brightly and took the lead through Said Benrahma's stunning strike in the 55th minute. However, Leverkusen responded well and equalised through Lucas Alario just six minutes later. The visitors could have won the game in the closing stages but were denied by a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping from Alphonse Areola.
Despite the disappointing result, West Ham manager David Moyes praised his team's performance. "I thought we were excellent tonight," said Moyes. "We played with great intensity and created some good chances. Unfortunately, we couldn't take them, and Leverkusen punished us with their late goals."
Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso was pleased with his team's performance, particularly in the second half. "We were much better in the second half," said Alonso. "We controlled the game and created some good chances. We deserved to win the game and we're delighted to reach the semi-finals."
West Ham's exit from the Europa League is a major disappointment, but they can take solace from their impressive run in the competition. They reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 1981 and played some excellent football along the way.
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