Another record beckons Leverkusen

Xabi Alonso's rampaging Bayer Leverkusen will have an additional incentive in Thursday's home second-leg Europa League semifinal against Roma: breaking a 59-year-old European football record. 

Avoiding defeat against Roma on Thursday will not only mean a trip to Dublin for the Europa League final, it will also extend their unbeaten run to 49 games -- the best mark in European football history.

A Eusebio-inspired Benfica went on a 48-game unbeaten streak between 1963 and 1965. The record has stood since, but Leverkusen have a golden chance of blowing it out of the water.

Alonso's side have already overtaken Juventus' 43-match unbeaten run from 2011 to 2012, which was the best of a team in the top five European leagues.

Leverkusen won 2-0 in Rome last week and could progress to the final even with a one-goal loss, but breaking the record would be yet another outstanding achievement in an already brilliant season.

Speaking after Leverkusen equalled Benfica's record with a 5-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday, Leverkusen goalkeeper and captain Lukas Hradecky said pursuit of an unbeaten season gave his side "extra motivation".

"It's close," said Hradecky after the game, explaining "I can tell my granddaughter and grandson about this."

The Finn was referring to the league season, where Leverkusen have two more games to become the first team to go a Bundesliga campaign without defeat, but they are just five matches away from an unbeaten treble.

Even with Alonso forced to watch from the stands due to a yellow card suspension, Leverkusen were not troubled against Frankfurt.

Already crowned Bundesliga champions for the first time back in April, Leverkusen are through to the German Cup final, where they face second-division Kaiserslautern.

Avoiding defeat on Thursday will set up a meeting with either Atalanta or Marseille in the Europa League final in Dublin.

Leverkusen have managed to keep their stunning run going despite Alonso deciding to rest players.

Attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz and wing-back Alex Grimaldo were left out of the squad entirely on Sunday.

"They had small complaints in the last few days. We didn't want to take any risks," Alonso said.

"They'll train again from Tuesday."

Leverkusen scored five despite missing Wirtz, their attacking midfield lynchpin, and assists machine Grimaldo.

Wirtz has four goals and four assists in nine Europa League games this season, including a goal in the first leg in Rome.

With close to a full-strength squad and playing at home for the second-last time this season, breaking Benfica's record on Thursday could be the next step in Wirtz and Leverkusen's great future.

Highlights

*Unbeaten this season, Bayer Leverkusen won nine out of their 11 Europa League fixtures this season.

*A win for Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen against Roma in their Europa League semifinal second-leg at home will not only see the reigning German champions progress to the final but also Benfica's 48-game unbeaten streak – the best mark in European football history.

*Before the start of the season, Leverkusen had just two major trophies in their history -- DFB Pokal in 1992/93 and the UEFA in 1987/88. With the Bundesliga already under their belt, Alonso's side could more than double their historical trophy haul -- if they win the Europa League and the DFB Pokal final against Kaiserslautern.