Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso reacted with disappointment but also with relative calm to the end of his team’s domestic winning streak. “It’s hard, it’s bitter. We didn’t deserve to lose today, especially because of the first half,” said the 42-year-old Spaniard on TV channel Sky after the 2:3 home defeat against RB Leipzig, in which his team had squandered a 2:0 lead.
Alonso said his team could have scored more goals before half-time. “We didn’t have enough control in the second half and we conceded goals too easily. We accept the defeat because that’s football,” he added. “Just because we lost doesn’t mean everything was a disaster. We put in a good performance. But we need to improve when we have the ball.”
Alonso later announced that last season’s double winners would learn from these mistakes. “It’s not good to let an opponent come back after a 2-0 lead. But it’s a process, we’re still early in the season,” said the ex-pro. Leverkusen had previously not lost 35 Bundesliga games in a row.
