Berlin: Ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash against AC Milan on Tuesday, Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso calmly outlined his team’s biggest challenge.
“We must find the right balance between attacking and defending. It’s as simple as this,” the 42-year-old Spaniard ws quoted by Xinhua.
After an unbeaten 2023-2024 season, which saw Bayer claim the national title with ease, the team now seems to be feeling the weight of their success.
“Things don’t work as last season. Not everything is coming that easily,” midfielder and Swiss international Granit Xhaka concluded.
Following nine goals conceded in the national league over four games, Leverkusen returned to defensive basics when facing the current top team in Germany, Bayern Munich, managing a 1-1 draw.
The shift in play, which has surprised fans and pundits, appears to be a necessary step for Alonso after the historic first National Championship.
Surviving a game without the usual dominance – with a passing record of 322 to Bayern’s 714 and only three shots on target compared to Bayern’s 18 – proved to be a crucial development step for Bayer.
“On the way to becoming a robust, long-lasting top team, we need a game like that. It showed us we can do both and get things back into place,” said Alonso, a two-time Champions League winner. He emphasized that achieving the right balance is vital for success in both the Champions League and the upcoming match against Milan.
Xhaka noted that the poor defending in recent weeks required a response from the entire team and viewed the draw in Munich as a success.
From Xhaka’s perspective, not falling apart under the pressure of Bayern’s attacking and maintaining composure with a ball-possession rate of just 31 percent (compared to Bayern’s 69 percent) demonstrated that the reigning German champions have learned valuable lessons.
The timing of this performance comes just before facing Milan, a team known for its ability to both defend solidly and counterattack effectively, according to the former Arsenal midfielder.
Following a 3-0 win against Feyenoord in their Champions League opener, the upcoming match against Milan on home soil is seen as critical for striking the right balance between defending and attacking.
Xhaka called the draw against Munich a breakthrough, noting that international top sides “do things like that.” For the 130-capped Swiss captain, football ultimately comes down to results.
–IANS