Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso sees a historic opportunity in the quarter-finals of the Europa League against Union Saint-Gilloise.
That’s why his team will not underestimate the outsider from Belgium. “That will definitely not happen,” promised the Basque before the first leg on Thursday (9 p.m. / RTL) in Leverkusen: “We have the opportunity to reach the semi-finals of a European cup. Bayer Leverkusen have not managed that since 2002. Now we are in a situation to do it again. It’s a nice opportunity. The opponent doesn’t have to matter.”
The fact that Bayer may be something like the Bundesliga’s last title hope in Europe after the 3-0 defeat by German record champions FC Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals at Manchester City, at best plays a subordinate role. “We have enough motivation for our own goals,” said Alonso: “If that’s the case, we’ll be happy to still be there. But our motivation is the highest anyway.”
The 41-year-old didn’t want to deal with a possible final yet, but “we have to keep up this positive wave”. Bayer had recently won seven competitive games in a row. The fact that Saint-Gilloise beat 1. FC Union Berlin in the round of 16 was “not a big surprise for Alonso. They did well in the group stage. And in the second leg they were the better team”.
The possible lineups:
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky – Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba – Frimpong, Andrich, Palacios, Hincapié – Diaby, Wirtz, Adli
Saint-Gilloise: Moris – Kandouss, Burgess, van der Heyden – Nieuwkoop, Lazare Amani, Lynen, Teuma, Lapoussin – Adingra, Boniface
Referee: Ivan Kruzliak (Slovakia)
Press kit in German
