Bayer Leverkusen head coach, Xabi Alonso, remains optimistic about his team’s Bundesliga title chances, despite a frustrating goalless draw against Bayern Munich on Saturday.
The result keeps Leverkusen eight points adrift of the league leaders with 12 matches left in the season.
Leverkusen dominated possession and dictated play but struggled to find a way past a well-organized Bayern defense.
The defending champions, aware that a draw would preserve their lead, remained compact and disciplined, resulting in a rare statistic, this was only the second time since 1992 that Bayern failed to register a single shot on target in a Bundesliga match.
Reflecting on the performance, Alonso expressed pride in his team’s display but acknowledged their inability to convert dominance into goals.
“We played very well. We did everything we could do to win, other than score a goal,” he told reporters.
Alonso admitted he had expected a more balanced contest but was pleasantly surprised by how much control his side exerted over the reigning champions.
“To be honest, and I’ve seen many Bayern games this season and they’re very dominant, we were dominant,” he said. “You can see from the stats today how dominant we were. We just missed some precision.”
Despite the draw, Alonso remained defiant, insisting that the title race is far from over.
“For the table it wasn’t enough (to make a difference). But the season is not over yet,” he said. “As I said last year (with Leverkusen on the way to the title), we can speak in April. There’s still many points to play for.”
Determined to keep the pressure on Bayern, Alonso emphasized his team’s commitment to competing on multiple fronts.
“Without a doubt, we’ll keep fighting in each competition and we want to keep winning.”
The Spaniard took encouragement from the match, highlighting the positives his squad can take forward.
“It’s something we can build on in the league, but especially in the Champions League.”
Leverkusen have already demonstrated their strength in Europe, finishing as the only German club in the Champions League’s top eight.
Meanwhile, Bayern coach, Vincent Kompany, dismissed suggestions that his team was fortunate to escape with a point.
“Leverkusen earned the right to put us under pressure, but we showed the mentality to block shots—guys like Harry (Kane) and Jamal (Musiala) who are normally scoring goals for us,” Kompany said.
As the season enters its decisive phase, Leverkusen will need to turn performances like this into victories if they hope to reclaim the Bundesliga title.
