A Champions League game against AC Milan – that brings back special memories for Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso. He expects a different game against the top Italian club than on Saturday in Munich.
Goalscorer in the Champions League final: Xabi Alonso celebrates his 3-3 draw in 2005 – and still remembers it fondly today.
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When the year 2005 fell, Xabi Alonso almost automatically grinned. “What happened that night was brutally important for my career,” Leverkusen’s coach said at the press conference on Monday afternoon when asked about the legendary Champions League final almost 20 years ago. Back then, as a young midfielder, he won the trophy with Liverpool FC after being 3-0 down. Opponent back then: AC Milan, who will be playing at the BayArena on Tuesday (9 p.m., LIVE! on kicker).
“We can still talk about that night after almost 20 years,” said the Spaniard, who made a decisive contribution to what was probably the most famous comeback in the history of the competition with a penalty follow-up to make it 3-3. For the then 23-year-old (kicker grade 3.0), it was not only the first of two Champions League titles in his playing career, but the first title of his playing career ever.
“For me it’s a very nice memory,” said Xabi Alonso, who also didn’t hide a not so nice memory: “Unfortunately, two years later we played against them again in the final and lost.” In 2007, the Spaniard again received a kicker grade of 3.0 in the final, but this time he and the Reds lost 2-1 to the Rossoneri, coached by Carlo Ancelotti. “Milan and the Champions League – that’s football history,” enthused the Spaniard. “It’s an honor to play against them.”
He will do this for the first time as a coach on Tuesday evening – just three days after the top Bundesliga game in Munich, in which his team had less possession of the ball than ever before during his tenure. But he doesn’t believe in a repeat against the top Italian club, which is also in a good mood. “I don’t expect a game like this in our stadium tomorrow,” said the Spaniard, already making it clear that he wants to get his team more active in front of their own crowd.
But Xabi Alonso also expects the opponent from Italy to be different than Bayern on Saturday. “Milan doesn’t have to be dominant to be dangerous,” explained Xabi Alonso – and his defense chief agreed. “Maybe they even want us to feel dominant with the ball so that they can then strike with a counterattack,” Jonathan Tah speculated about the opponent’s attitude.
In general, it is difficult for Bayer 04 against teams from Serie A. “It’s a special style of play, a different style of play than what you’re used to in the Bundesliga,” explained Tah. “They play very tactically and defend very well. A lot of patience will be required.” Or as Xabi Alonso puts it: “It will be a game in which we have to play intelligently.”
Andrich in the starting line-up? Xabi Alonso sees “other options too”
The coach left it open whether this meant that Robert Andrich, who had recently been in strong form, would once again be next to Granit Xhaka in the double six. “We still need today for some players to recover,” explained Xabi Alonso. “Then we’ll decide tomorrow who will play.”
So far this season, Andrich hasn’t started any home games, but he was one of Leverkusen’s strongest players in Munich, and not just because of his goal. “His development is very good, he was very focused and made a lot of good decisions,” praised Xabi Alonso, but at the same time made it clear: “We also have other options.” In addition to new signing Aleix Garcia, it could also be Exequiel Palacios, who was injured at the start of the season and has only made three short appearances so far.
