Bayer Leverkusen are into Friday’s draw for the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals after second-leg goals from Moussa Diaby and Amine Adli helped the Bundesliga side complete their last-16 task against Ferencvaros.

Ferencvaros 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Goals: 0-1 Diaby 3', 0-2 Adli 81' (assist: Diaby)

The visitors went into Thursday’s return leg in Budapest – host city for this season’s tournament final – boasting a healthy 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Kerem Demirbay and Edmond Tapsoba in the corresponding fixture at the BayArena a week prior. That result would have paired perfectly with Xabi Alonso’s penchant to send his sides out on the counter-attack, but there was little sign of that tactic in the early stages, with the visitors bursting out of the blocks to all but kill off the tie. Racing through on the right, Diaby may have been waiting for a challenge from shadowing defender Mats Knoester. When it failed to arrive, Bayer’s electric attacker sprinted all the way into the opposition box before sliding a slick finish in to drop the Puskas Arena into a stunned silence. Lukas Hradecky saved brilliantly from Marquinhos’s close range shot as the hosts rallied, while Adama Traore’s deflected effort smacked the crossbar as Leverkusen momentarily wobbled.

The away side were in fine spirits in the Hungarian capital having posted four wins in their previous five games. That morale was on display at the start of the second half, when the visiting team toyed with their opponents. Mitchel Bakker almost doubled Bayer’s lead with a shot that was deflected wide. Jeremie Frimpong then had a goal ruled out offside before Diaby rolled an effort against the foot of the post. Ferencvaros battled valiantly as they sought to offer their loyal fans something to cheer. However, it was the Bundesliga team who would be celebrating once again before the end with substitute Adli latching onto Diaby's angled pass to complete a deadly counter-thrust. Progress to the Europa League quarters secured, Leverkusen must now quickly turn their attentions to Sunday's behemoth domestic fixture against Bayern Munich.

Match stats

• Diaby - who has eight goals and four assists in the Bundesliga this season - scored his second in the Europa League.
• Adli brought his tally for the current campaign up to three with his first goal in European competition in 2022/23.
• Die Werkself now have seven goals in their past three European away matches against Atletico Madrid, Monaco and Ferencvaros.
• Ferencvaros have lost their last three Europa League games without scoring a goal.

Teams

Ferencvaros: Dibusz (c) - Wingo (Marquinhos 14') (Lisztes 90'+1), Knoester, Abena, Civic - Esiti, Vecsei - Traore, Gojak (Manner 78'), Zachariassen - R. Mmaee (Baden Frederiksen 90')
Unused subs: Bogadan, Ori, Kovacevic, Varga, Toth, Lisztes
Out: Besic (ACL), Owuso (knee)
Coach: Stanislav Cherchesov

Leverkusen: Hradecky (c) - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie (Kossounou 82') - Frimpong (Fosu-Mensah 82'), Palacios, Andrich (Demirbay 86'), Bakker - Wirtz (Hlozek 71') - Diaby, Azmoun (Adli 71')
Unused subs: Pentz, Lomb, Hudson-Odoi, Azhil
Out: Aranguiz (calf), Bellarabi (illness), Lunev (back), Schick (groin)
Coach: Xabi Alonso

As it happened

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First-leg report

Kerem Demirbay and Edmond Tapsoba were on target as Bayer Leverkusen recorded a 2-0 win over Ferencvaros in their UEFA Europa League last-16 first leg at the BayArena.

Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Ferencvaros
Goals: 1-0 Demirbay (10'), 2-0 Tapsoba

Leverkusen had overturned a first-leg deficit to down Monaco on penalties in the play-off round, but it was visiting Ferencvaros who had to chase the game in Germany. Bayer took the lead inside 10 minutes when Demirbay found the top corner after Piero Hincapie's initial effort following a mistake by goalkeeper Denes Dibusz had been blocked. Kristoffer Zachariassen fired against the crossbar for the Hungarians as Xabi Alonso's side went in at the break with their 1-0 advantage intact.

Leverkusen largely kept Ferencvaros at arm's length in the second half, with Eldar Civic failing to find the target with a speculative long-range effort. Moussa Diaby went close to doubling Die Werkself's lead when he latched onto Florian Wirtz's cute pass into the box, but the Frenchman dragged his effort wide from a tight angle. Clear-cut chances were otherwise at a premium, until Tapsoba reacted first to substitute Adam Hlozek's free-kick against the crossbar to give Bayer daylight in the tie.