Antonio criticises officials after wasteful West Ham let Leverkusen off the hook
Michail Antonio fired a broadside at the Spanish officials after West Ham’s bid for a third successive European semi-final was thwarted by a second-half Bayer Leverkusen revival.
Antonio’s early goal stoked hopes that a 2-0 first-leg defeat could be overturned but Xabi Alonso’s side levelled through substitute Jeremie Frimpong a minute before time and so remain unbeaten in an extraordinary season that saw them crowned Bundesliga champions on Sunday.
Leverkusen may have tamed Harry Kane and Bayern Munich but for 45 minutes were made to look ordinary by David Moyes’ side and Antonio in particular.
The Jamaica striker afterwards vented his frustration by castigating Spanish referee Jose Maria Sanchez and assistants Raul Cabanero and Inigo Prieto for their part in failing to punish Leverkusen, persistent time-wasters all night, and their over-physical centre-back Jonathan Tah in particular.
“I felt like I didn’t get a decision all game,” Antonio complained. “It doesn’t feel like you’re playing against 11 men, it feels like you’re playing against 13, 14 including the two linos.”
Moyes, though having to be more diplomatic, made it clear he agreed. “I watch a lot of Spanish football and have worked in Spain so I have an idea of what it’s like,” he said. “If that’s the way it is you wouldn’t watch many Spanish games.”
West Ham, Europa Conference League winners last season, were dynamic from the start but with injuries and suspensions having hit their squad hard they were out of energy by the end.
“It was a completely different game in the first half then the second half,” admitted Leverkusen’s Granit Xhaka, the former Arsenal midfielder. “We competed much more. If you see over 180 minutes, the better team went through.”
Moyes was without the suspended Lucas Paqueta but boosted by Jarrod Bowen’s return to fitness.
Alonso’s men began shakily as West Ham pressed high and hard — and halved the first-leg deficit in the 13th minute. Centre-back Odilon
Kossounou gave away possession and then failed to stop Antonio heading home Bowen’s cross from six yards.
Antonio saw another header saved before Bowen, unmarked at the back post, hit only goalkeeper Matej Kovar’s legs, with Moyes toppling to the turf in frustration.
Alonso took off the hapless Kossounou before half an hour was on the clock but then referee Sanchez became the centre of attention.
He stepped in to sort out a ruckus on the touchline that spilled on to the pitch. Red cards were shown to Hammers coach Billy Mckinlay plus a German counterpart, with Antonio and Tah booked. Alonso made two more changes at the break, sending on Frimpong plus first-leg scorer Victor Boniface, but another big chance came and went for the Hammers. Bowen dispossessed Piero Hincapie just before the hour mark but his ball across the box could not locate a teammate.
Frimpong, sent sprinting clear in the 83rd minute, somehow failed to score. The substitute extinguished home hopes in the 89th minute however with a shot that foxed goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski via a hefty deflection off team-mate Aaron Cresswell.
“It was a thrilling game, two different halves,” said Alonso, whose side will take on Roma in the last four. “We knew West Ham were going to press us high but we couldn’t deal with it. We were lucky not to concede another one.”