[ad_1]
Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso explained that he is proud of his side’s players despite their disappointing 3-0 defeat to Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League final on May 23. The German side’s 51-game undefeated streak came to an end with the defeat, also marking the end of their hopes of clinching a fairytale unbeaten treble. Xabi opines Atalanta is fully deserving of the title after outplaying the 2023-2024 Bundesliga champions in the high-value final, courtesy to a sensational hat-trick from Ademola Lookman. Going into the final, Leverkusen were the clear favourites to lift the trophy, but fell victim to Atalanta’s pressing football.
From the very beginning of the match, Leverkusen were left chasing the ball against the Gian Piero Gasperini-managed Serie A side, who were always more clinical in front of the goal. Lookman gave Atalanta the lead in the 12th minute, only to double the advantage over Leverkusen with another strike in the 26th minute. The German champions have showcased a late boost in their game multiple times this season, but failed to replicate the same in the final. With Lookman completing his hatrick with a goal in the 75th minute, Atalanta made a comeback impossible to script for Xabi’s Leverkusen.
Speaking to TNT sports after the defeat, Xabi explained how he is planning to learn from his very first defeat of the season and how he plans to bring Leverkusen back to winning form.
“The result today doesn’t change a bit how proud I am of my players of what we are doing…It hurts, because we wanted to lift that trophy, but you can’t get everything. We were lifting the Bundesliga on Saturday, and we will have the chance to lift the Pokal this Saturday,” Xabi said.
“It was not meant to be today. We could not cope with as many difficult situations as we were preparing, because Atalanta demand you [to do] so much. We were not getting the ball into the right positions because they do that so well. We were not able to come back and negate that. It was not meant to be,” Xabi added.
Leverkusen’s hopes for a second major trophy remains alive with the DFB-Pokal Final against FC Kaiserslautern on May 25, which will only add to Xabi’s brilliant winning tally in just his second year of a senior managerial stint.
[ad_2]