Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen fought back to rescue a 2-2 draw against Qarabag in the Europa League round of 16 first leg on Thursday.
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Leverkusen fighting Bayern Munich for Bundesliga titleCame back from 2-0 down against minnows QarabagRelief clear to see for manager Xabi AlonsoWHAT HAPPENED?
Leverkusen have been in remarkable form in the Bundesliga this season and sit 10 points clear of second-placed Bayern Munich. They have not lost a game domestically but were on the verge of a humiliating defeat to Azerbaijani side Qarabag in the first leg of their round of 16 clash on Thursday.
Qarabag raced into a 2-0 lead in the first half thanks to goals from Yassine Benzia and Juninho. Florian Wirtz pulled a goal back in the 70th minute and Patrik Schick scored an equaliser in the second minute of injury time to maintain that impressive record.
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Leverkusen are well clear of Bayern in the league but their morale could have taken a significant hit had they been beaten in Azerbaijan. They will play the return leg in Germany next week, after a clash with Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga this weekend.
Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?
Leverkusen played Qarabag twice in the group stages of this season's Europa League and won both of them. They won 5-1 at home and 1-0 away, and they would love a rerun of the former result next week.
(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
Leverkusen welcome Qarabag to Germany next week for the second leg. First, they will first aim to do the double over Wolfsburg when they face up on Sunday, having beaten them 2-1 away from home in October.