Leverkusen, the defending champions, will face Borussia Mönchengladbach away in the first round of the Bundesliga. Before the match, Bayer coach Xabi Alonso attended the press conference, stating that Leverkusen’s goal is very realistic: to fight for a top-four finish and a Champions League spot. As for the title favorites, it can only be Bayern Munich.
According to public opinion polls, many fans see Leverkusen as a hot contender for the Bundesliga title this season, but when asked about it at the press conference, Alonso said: “No, that doesn’t mean anything. From my point of view, we are not title contenders. In my opinion, Bayern Munich are the title favorites.”
Why are Bayern favorites? Alonso raised his voice: “Because that’s Bayern! Their squad, their history… that’s obvious to me!”
So what are Leverkusen’s season goals? Alonso said: “We want to play well, we want to start the season well, that’s our goal. We want to build a good feeling in every game, have a good idea, and build a good mental state through every game.”
This statement was clearly a bit vague, so reporters asked Alonso to be more specific. The Leverkusen coach said: “We’ll see what we can achieve, but our goal is to stay in the top four, that’s realistic.”
Of course, Alonso is very satisfied with the team’s configuration and players. He said about the first opponent: “I’m very satisfied with our squad. We know that every game is tough, and it’s the same against Gladbach away. They’ve brought in some great players, like Stindl and Kleinheisler, who can all help the team. Gladbach are well prepared, and this game won’t be like the one in February (0-0), it will be different this time.”
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