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regular-article-logo Thursday, 30 May 2024

Champions League: Celebration for Juventus and Bologna, Roma suffer

De Ketelaere scored the two goals within as many minutes in the first half but Lorenzo Pellegrini set up a tense final quarter of the match by scoring from the spot

Reuters Milan Published 14.05.24, 11:17 AM
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Charles De Ketelaere netted twice to help Atalanta boost their chances of returning to the Champions League with a 2-1 win over direct rivals Roma.

De Ketelaere scored the two goals within as many minutes in the first half but Lorenzo Pellegrini set up a tense final quarter of the match by scoring from the spot.

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Fifth-place Atalanta moved three points above Roma and have also played a match less. The top-five in Serie A qualify for next season's Champions League and two rounds remain in the Italian league.

The result meant Juventus secured a spot in next season's Champions League despite surprisingly being held to a 1-1 draw by Salernitana earlier in the day.

It also confirmed Bologna's first appearance in the Champions League, and tens of thousands of fans immediately started celebrating in the city center, where players are also expected to arrive having watched Atalanta's match together at their training ground.

But it was more misery for Roma who were eliminated from the Europa League midweek, giving up a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg of their semi-final.

50-game unbeaten run

Bayer Leverkusen erased memories of their last defeat almost a year ago by beating Bochum 5-0 away in the Bundesliga to stretch their unbeaten start to the season to 50 games across all competitions.

Sunday's win atoned for Leverkusen's 3-0 loss to Bochum at the same ground on the final day last season. Xabi Alonso's team has not lost any game since, a run that has eclipsed Portuguese club Benfica's record of 48 consecutive games unbeaten in all competitions from late 1963 to early 1965.

No other top-flight European team remained unbeaten for as long as Leverkusen, who have already wrapped up their first Bundesliga title and will play in both the German Cup and Europa League finals.

Leverkusen did not have to exert much. Patrik Schick and Victor Boniface got the first two goals. Amine Adli then scored the third, set up the next for Josip Stanisic, who set up the next for Alex Grimaldo.

Leverkusen now have 87 points.

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