Alonso urges Leverkusen to forget Bayern loss
Xabi Alonso wants Bayer Leverkusen to be professional and quickly move on from its chastening defeat to Bayern Munich, with Werder Bremen up next in the Bundesliga.
Leverkusen suffered a 3-0 defeat to Bayern in the UEFA Champions League Roud of 16 first-leg tie, their first defeat to the Bavarian side since Alonso took charge in October 2022.
It was the sixth time under Alonso that Leverkusen has lost by a goal margin of three or more, with four of those instances coming in European competition, and two of them this season.
Hopes of advancing to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals now look slim ahead of the second leg next week, but Alonso said his side could not afford to wallow in the disappointment, urging it to refocus attention on the Bundesliga.
"The mood is better than [Thursday]. We discussed everything as usual, we have to be professional and focus on the next game," Alonso said.
"[Friday] was our first and last training session in preparation for [the game]. We want to take every competition very seriously and now the Bundesliga is next on the agenda. We are in a position where a lot can still happen and everything is open.
"We're used to switching between the [UEFA] Champions League and Bundesliga, so it shouldn't be a problem for us. We need fresh legs and a clear head, no matter who we're playing and in which competition. We want to go full throttle every game."
Leverkusen blew a lead twice in the reverse fixture against Werder, which finished 2-2. It has dropped 13 points from winning positions, the third-highest tally in the league this season.
Alonso's side sits second on the table on 53 points, eight behind leader Bayern, as it looks to keep the pressure on in the title race.
The Spaniard said midfielder Robert Andrich was unlikely to feature against 12th-placed Werder, adding: "He still has the flu and isn't feeling well yet."
After its meeting with Werder, Leverkusen will play its UEFA Champions League Round of 16 return game against Bayern at home next week.
"We need more energy and more clarity for this second leg," Alonso said.
