"Bayer Leverkusen confirmed their place in the Champions League's knockout-stage play-offs after dismantling Villarreal in a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Kasper Hjulmand's side delivered an emphatic performance at BayArena, setting up a meeting with either Borussia Dortmund or Olympiacos, where the victors will reach the last 16. A needless Arnau Tenas error handed Leverkusen their 12th-minute lead when the goalkeeper stalled too long over a clearance, with Malik Tillman charging him down to deflect the ball into an empty net."
"Tenas was then fortunate not to turn into his own net when Ibrahim Maza's long-range drive cannoned against the woodwork and bounced off the goalkeeper's back, as he managed to scrape it away from the goal line. But Tenas was left powerless 10 minutes before half-time, when Patrik Schick headed down Alejandro Grimaldo's cross for Tilman to thunder a half-volley into the bottom-right corner for his second goal. Matters worsened for an insipid Villarreal team, who were already eliminated, in the 57th minute as Grimaldo met Lucas Vazquez's right-sided cross and thundered a volley under Tenas to round off the scoring."
"Data Debrief: Villarreal hit Spanish nadir A one-sided contest saw Leverkusen claim three deserved points, as the hosts accumulated 2.03 expected goals (xG) to Villarreal's meagre 0.25. Villarreal's drab campaign also saw them become the only Spanish team to play as many as eight games (D1 L7) in a European Cup/Champions League campaign and not win any of them. They have lost six consecutive games in the competition, equalling their longest losing streak in major European competitions."
Bayer Leverkusen secured a Champions League knockout-stage play-off place with a 3-0 home win over Villarreal. Malik Tillman opened the scoring after Arnau Tenas delayed a clearance and later doubled his tally with a thunderous half-volley following Patrik Schick's header. Alejandro Grimaldo added a third in the 57th minute from a Lucas Vazquez cross. Tenas had a lucky escape when Ibrahim Maza's long-range effort struck the woodwork and rebounded off him. Leverkusen registered 2.03 xG to Villarreal's 0.25. Villarreal finished winless across eight European games and have lost six consecutive matches in the competition.
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