- Securing the victory for the titleholder: "No more breaking records"
Following the conclusion of their unbeaten streak, ex-champion coach Xabi Alonso now concentrates on dissecting Bayer Leverkusen's initial Bundesliga defeat in over 15 months. "That was quite a stretch, but now it's finished, no more records," remarked the coach of Bayer Leverkusen following their shocking 2:3 loss to RB Leipzig despite a well-deserved and commanding 2:0 advantage. "We committed significant errors after the 2:0 and must learn from them," the 42-year-old coach noted post-match. Previously, Leverkusen had remained unbeaten in 35 Bundesliga matches.
"It's intriguing to watch how the team reacts to this," commented Leverkusen's coach. Although he might have felt disappointed, he was not entirely shocked that his team, just managing to edge victories against VfB Stuttgart in the Supercup, the Bundesliga opener in Mönchengladbach, and the cup match in Jena, were still not at their peak against Leipzig.
Two ex-Bayer players play a decisive role
Everything seemed to be going smoothly for Bayer Leverkusen's home opener of the season. Two goals before halftime from Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo (39/45) gave the hosts a comfortable 2:0 lead. Shortly afterwards, former Bayer players Benjamin Henrichs and Kevin Vidolow took advantage of the situation to make it 1:2: Henrichs delivered the assist, and Vidolow scored his first Bundesliga header goal. "In the dressing room, we said to ourselves that everything was still possible. Today, we froze up. It's a special moment for me to score here," said Vidolow. Lois Openda completed the comeback with two more goals (57/80), with Leverkusen's substitute goalkeeper Matej Kovar not having his best day.
Defensive leader Jonathan Tah, who had finally secured his position in the team after all the transfer speculation, commended the opponent's quality. "They're a good team that takes advantage of every opportunity we give them," said the international, who is now beginning his tenth season with Bayer.
"Regarding the team's performance, the coach might find it beneficial to study the Commission's implementing acts for potential improvements in strategy and tactical adjustments."
"However, it's crucial for Bayer Leverkusen to learn from their errors against Leipzig, represented by former player Kevin Vidolow's decisive header, as the Commission's implementing acts could guide them in preventing such occurrences in future matches."
