Moussa Diaby was among the goals as Bayer Leverkusen booked their place in the UEFA Europa League last 32 with victory away to Ligue 1 club and Group C rivals Nice.

Nice 2-3 Bayer Leverkusen
Goals: 0-1 Diaby (22’), 1-1 Kamara (1-1), 1-2 Dragovic (32’), 2-2 Ndoye (47’), 2-3 Baumgartlinger (51’)

Even without 10-goal top scorer Lucas Alario, Leverkusen were far superior in the first half. Kerem Demirbay was a constant nuisance in the centre of midfield, while Karim Bellarabi and Diaby ran Nice ragged in the wide areas. Wendell and Patrik Schick had already tested Walter Benitez when Diaby latched onto Demirbay’s chipped pass to smash in the opening goal. Hassane Kamara’s fine volley brought Nice level with a goal they barely deserved, only for Aleksandar Dragovic to restore order from Nadiem Amiri’s corner.

Leverkusen were pegged back out of nothing two minutes into the second half. Lukas Hradecky could only parry Jeff Reine-Adelaide’s fierce free-kick, allowing Dan Ndoye to tuck away the rebound. Leverkusen retook the lead with their next attack, though, as Julian Baumgartlinger guided in Amiri’s near-post set piece with his back. Benitez kept the scoreline respectable, in contrast to the reverse tie which Leverkusen won 6-2, twice keeping out substitute Leon Bailey, while Edmond Tapsoba sent a late header from a corner wide. Bayer will progress as group winners if they beat current leaders Slavia Prague in their final fixture in the section.

Match stats

• Leverkusen have lost just one of 15 competitive matches in 2020/21, winning 10 and drawing four.
• Alario has scored 10 goals in 12 competitive appearances for Leverkusen this season at an average of one every 77 minutes. He has eight goals in 14 Europa League outings, including two in four this term.
• It’s Bailey who has had the biggest hand of all Leverkusen players in Europe this season, though, with three goals and two assists.
• France-born Diaby is unbeaten in four career meetings with Nice (W3, D1). He notched an assist in his first, whilst playing for Paris Saint-Germain.
• Cem Türkmen, 18, made his senior Leverkusen debut. The midfielder has been playing for the club's U19s this season.
• Peter Bosz took Ajax to the 2016/17 Europa League final. The Dutchman has won 51 of his 86 competitive matches as Leverkusen head coach.

Line-ups

Nice: Benitez (c) - Daniliuc, Bambu, Nsoki - Lotomba, Reine-Adelaide, Danilo (Thuram 67'), Kamara (Coly 72') - Maolida (Ndoye 29'), Gouiri (Trouillet 72'), Claude-Maurice
Unused subs: Boulhendi, Cardinale, Rony Lopes, Pelmard, Mahou, Pionnier Bertrand, Wade, Ben Seghir
Out: Atal (thigh), Boudaoui (suspended), Dante (knee), Dolberg (not included), Schneiderlin (suspended)
Coach: Patrick Vieira

Leverkusen: Hradecky - L. Bender (c) (Tapsoba 46'), Tah, Dragovic, Wendell - Amiri (Türkmen 68'), Baumgartlinger, Demirbay (Wirtz 86') - Bellarabi, Schick (Bailey 46'), Diaby (Gedikli 68')
Unused subs: Grill, Lomb, Sinkgraven
Out: Alario (knee), Aranguiz (Achilles tendon), Arias (ankle), S. Bender (ankle), Palacios (back), Paulinho (knee)
Coach: Peter Bosz

As it happened

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