Alonso 'bitter' as Leverkusen unbeaten run ends

Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso stated he had a “bitter” feeling after the German champions noticed their spectacular unbeaten run within the Bundesliga finish with a 3-2 defeat by RB Leipzig on Saturday.

Underneath Alonso, Leverkusen have made essential late objectives a speciality. It briefly appeared like which may occur once more when the referee went to evaluation a attainable penalty within the 86th minute after Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba and Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick made contact.

The referee determined towards the spot kick and Leverkusen misplaced to a German opponent for the primary time since Could 2023 after 35 Bundesliga video games unbeaten, together with their total title-winning 2023-24 season.

“It is exhausting, it is bitter,” Alonso instructed German broadcaster Sky. “I do not suppose we deserved to lose at the moment.”

The defeat left Leverkusen one consequence away from matching Hamburg’s tally of 36 video games unbeaten in 1982-83 — the Bundesliga’s second-longest run after Bayern Munich‘s report of 53 beneath Pep Guardiola.

Leipzig got here again from 2-0 down as they made probably the most of comparatively few probabilities, typically on the counter, to seal a comeback win. Their three objectives got here from 10 photographs to Leverkusen’s 27.

Leverkusen scored twice within the house of six first-half minutes, first when Jeremie Frimpong intercepted a unfastened go, despatched defender El Chadaille Bitshiabu the incorrect method and beat goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi. Alex Grimaldo then completed off a group transfer that included new signing Martin Terrier drawing Gulacsi out of place.

Nonetheless, the momentum was with Leipzig at half-time after Kevin Kampl‘s added-time header, and Openda then turned the sport round with two exact finishes. He leveled the rating with a shot from a good angle close to the touchline, and made it 3-2 with a curling effort from exterior the field.

“We’ll take lots of positives and negatives from this recreation,” Alonso instructed a press convention.

“We performed an excellent recreation within the first half. We have been pleased with that and needed to construct on it within the second. [But] We had no management within the second half and gave Leipzig an excessive amount of house. We did not do nicely within the again line.

“We’ll study from these errors. It is not good to let an opponent come again after main 2-0. Nevertheless it’s a course of, we’re nonetheless early within the season.”

Alonso known as for extra unity in defence as his group look to retain their title this season.

“We have been in an excellent move after taking a 2-0 lead, however we then must be able to defend,” Alonso added.

“We need to assault collectively, however we additionally must defend collectively. We’ll work via the sport after the worldwide break.”

Leverkusen have been the higher facet and will have gained an even bigger benefit earlier than the break with early probabilities via Edmond Tapsoba and Piero Hincapié, the latter hitting the bar with a header.

“In fact it hurts as a result of we did not take our probabilities at the moment,” stated Frimpong.

“In the long run we misplaced as a result of Leipzig took their probabilities higher. It was an excellent recreation, however we now have to attain objectives. We’ll proceed to work on that in coaching.”

Leverkusen subsequent go to Hoffenheim on Sept. 14 earlier than travelling to Feyenoord for his or her Champions League opener 5 days later.

Info from The Related Press and Reuters contributed to this report.