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Bern (AP) - One half catastrophic, one half furious - and in the end lost: Bayer Leverkusen initially tore a game that was believed to be lost out of the fire in the Europa League, but faces a difficult task in the second leg.
The Werkself lost the first leg of the first leg against Swiss double winner Young Boys Bern after a 3-0 break deficit and an interim equalization 3: 4.
Patrik Schick with a double strike (49th / 52nd) and Moussa Diaby (68th), who had been substituted three minutes earlier, turned the game around after the break for Leverkusen, who had the best offensive of the competition with 21 hits in the preliminary round.
Jordan Siebatcheu secured Bern victory with his second goal a minute before the end.
After the setbacks in the league and the cup embarrassment at the fourth division club Rot-Weiss Essen, the Europa League is Bayer's last chance to win the title this season.
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After just 20 minutes, the fifth place in the Bundesliga was 2-0 down on the unfamiliar artificial turf in the Wankdorf Stadium - and that was entirely due to himself.
Christian Fassnacht (3rd) and Siebatcheu (19th) were allowed to finish unhindered after each corner.
Meschack Elia increased after a gross blunder by Aleksandar Dragovic (44.) for the team of coach Gerardo Seoane, who was apparently courted by Borussia Mönchengladbach.
For a long time, Bayer showed little inspiration beyond the standards.
Bosz had called the two winter entrants Demarai Gray and Jeremie Frimpong into the starting line-up for the first time after two substitutions each.
The two wingers weren't the problem, but the standards and the center.
Bosz had given captain Charles Aranguiz, who recently had to play more than planned after a long injury, a break.
Since his regular substitute Julian Baumgartlinger is out for a long time due to a cruciate ligament injury, the 4-3-3 system in midfield with the three technicians Kerem Demirbay, Nadiem Amiri and Florian Wirtz lacked the protective element.
It was not due to Niklas Lomb, who replaced the injured regular goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and made his fourth competitive game for the Bayer professionals, that Bayer were 3-0 down.
Bosz switched to a back three at break and suddenly the game went completely in the other direction.
Bayer now dominated the match and the opponent, finally showed themselves to be biting and determined.
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