Xabi Alonso Demands More Aggression From Bayer Leverkusen After Close Victory

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Xabi Alonso urged his Bayer Leverkusen team to show more character and aggression after their dramatic 3-2 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga opener. Leverkusen secured the win with a penalty deep into added time, converted by Florian Wirtz on the rebound.

Granit Xhaka gave Leverkusen an early lead with a stunning strike in the 12th minute. Wirtz then extended their advantage, but Gladbach responded with goals from Nico Elvedi and Tim Kleindienst before the late drama unfolded.

Champions Leverkusen, who set a European record of 51 consecutive games without loss across all competitions last season, maintained their unbeaten streak with several late equalisers. "We said at half-time that we must not let up and not think that the game is over," said Xhaka.

Alonso reflected on the match, stating, "It was an intense first Bundesliga game for us. A lot of things happened in the second half; it was full of emotion right to the end. We did well in many phases." However, he noted areas for improvement: "But we weren't always so compact today; we were also a bit passive in some phases. We have to do that better. We have to be more aggressive."

Florian Wirtz became the fifth Leverkusen player to score in successive opening games of a Bundesliga season. He joins Christian Schreier, Ulf Kirsten, Bernd Schneider, and Stefan Kießling in this achievement.

Reflecting on his performance, Wirtz said, "I had the feeling that we made it unnecessarily difficult for ourselves. We were asleep when it came to conceding goals. We let it slip away ourselves, even though we were actually in control."

Xhaka acknowledged Gladbach's resilience: "At the end of the first half, we started not being consistent enough in our passing game and losing easy balls. Here at home, Gladbach never die; you could see that in the goals at 1-2 and 2-2."

Alonso's Call for Improvement

Alonso emphasised the need for his team to improve their mentality and aggression: "It's difficult to explain why we always score late goals. We can't train that and I can't influence it. It's the mentality of the team."

Wirtz expressed relief at securing the win: "I just wanted to decide the game. I know that in the end it will be a lucky win. (But) we are happy that we won and that I was able to score the follow-up shot."

The match showcased both teams' determination and highlighted areas where Leverkusen can improve as they aim to build on their unbeaten streak.