Xabi Alonso self-critical after Kiel draw: "We didn't have the right mentality"
| Photo: Bayer 04 Leverkusen |
Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said his side were punished for complacency as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Holstein Kiel on Saturday.
The Werkself were 2-0 up after just eight minutes but threw the game away as the newly promoted visitors came back to claim a point.
According to Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso, his players weren't in the right frame of mind for the game, which was played four days after their 1-0 win over Milan in the Champions League.
“I am not satisfied with our performance. It was our own fault. We did not play intelligently and we thought the game was done but in football you have to keep going always with the same intensity,” Alonso said in a post-match interview.
"We were far too passive. After a big game in the Champions League we did not have the right mentality for this game.
"We had control but soft control without the aggressiveness for a third goal. The first Kiel goal just before halftime was a signal that it could get dangerous.
"But the biggest mistake was in the first half because we did not know how to handle the game after the 2-0. We were just not intelligent enough. There was a bit of complacency when we should have been more focused. We will learn."