Europe League
Alonso after 2:2: “That was my mistake”
Alonso’s self-criticism is surprising: He has often chosen risky formations this season – and so far he has always been right. photo
© Federico Gambarini/dpa
After a 2-0 deficit at Karabakh Agdam, Bayer Leverkusen averted their first defeat in their 35th competitive game of the season. The coach is still self-critical.
At first glance, it was too much rotation with eight changes compared to the 2-0 derby win at 1. FC Köln. But above all the decision to leave the two drivers Granit Xhaka and Florian Wirtz on the bench at the same time. When both came in the 58th minute when the score was 0-2, the game turned around. Wirtz also scored the Bundesliga leaders’ 100th competitive goal this season (70th).
“I don’t know whether that was a mistake,” said Alonso: “After the result, you can of course say it was one. But we play in three competitions, so we can’t always play with the same team.” Alonso’s self-criticism is surprising because he has often chosen risky formations when balancing in the three competitions this season – and so far he has always been right.
35 competitive games without defeat
But despite Leverkusen’s worst half of the season, the incredible streak of 35 competitive games without defeat was maintained. But the coach wasn’t interested in the series. “I’m not obsessed with it,” he said: “It may happen at some point. But if it happens, I won’t be worried.”
But with 0:2 at halftime there was more at stake. “It wasn’t an easy moment,” admitted the former world and European champion: “It wasn’t a Bundesliga game, but a knockout game. We had to be careful that we didn’t get 0-3 or a fourth and thus lose the entire round of the game .”