Bayer Leverkusen have been “not ” in sustaining their unbeaten document, in accordance with Granit Xhaka, who acknowledged his frustrations after Wednesday’s Europa League closing disappointment.
Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga champions had not suffered defeat because the closing sport of final season towards Bochum, however succumbed to their subsequent loss within the decisive second towards Atalanta in Dublin.
Ademola Lookman stole the headlines with a outstanding hat-trick, powering Gian Piero Gasperini’s workforce to their first title in 61 years, when Atalanta gained the Coppa Italia.
A 3-0 defeat ensured Leverkusen should accept, at most, a home double as they appear to bounce again on Saturday within the DFB-Pokal closing.
But Xhaka insisted Alonso’s facet by no means had the undefeated streak of their minds as quickly as kick-off arrived on the Aviva Stadium.
“Truthfully, we’re not within the unbeaten document,” the previous Arsenal midfielder stated to RTL. “We didn’t care about that from the beginning.
“It’s in regards to the sport and sadly we misplaced a closing at the moment. That’s soccer.
“We stated yesterday that it could be a troublesome sport. Compliments to Atalanta.”
Heads up #Werkself. We’re happy with you and we are going to go once more on Saturday. #ATAB04 | #Bayer04 #UELfinal #aCROSSeurope pic.twitter.com/gB2X32fvll
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) May 22, 2024
Leverkusen’s unbeaten streak spanned 9 months and 51 video games this season, beginning their 2023-24 marketing campaign with a first-round DFB-Pokal thrashing of lowly Teutonia Ottensen in mid-August.
Alonso’s spectacular males triumphed in 42 of these matches throughout their historic unbeaten run throughout all competitions, drawing the opposite 9 as Leverkusen coasted to their first Bundesliga title in historical past.
Scoring 143 objectives and conceding simply 39 throughout that dominant interval, not many would have anticipated Gasperini’s facet to shutout Leverkusen and beat goalkeeper Matej Kovar thrice within the course of.
Leverkusen are the primary league-title winners to lose the UEFA Cup/Europa League closing in the identical season since Benfica in 2013-14, and the primary German facet to do since Borussia Dortmund in 2001-02.
In single-game solely finals, this was additionally the largest margin of defeat for a German workforce since Eintracht Frankfurt misplaced 7-3 to Actual Madrid within the 1960 European Cup, maybe explaining Xhaka’s annoyance.
