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Published : 09 Mar 2025, 12:17 AM
Bayer Leverkusen suffered a shock 2-0 home loss to Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Saturday to miss their chance to close in on leaders Bayern Munich.
The reigning champions, who lost 3-0 to Bayern Munich in their Champions League Round of 16 first leg on Wednesday, are on 53 points, with Bayern staying top on 61 despite their stunning 3-2 loss at home to VfL Bochum.
"For us it was a bad game. Really bad day," Xabi Alonso, told a press conference.
"After the loss in Munich we wanted to be a bit fresher but it did not work. We will forget this game now and start believing again.
"We did not have control, we played without logic. We did not attack the last third well. It was too hectic and the chances were not clear chances," Alonso said
Visitors Werder, who had lost their previous five matches, took a surprise seventh-minute lead with Romano Schmid slotting in at the far post after a Leverkusen defensive error.
Aleix Garcia came agonisingly close to an equaliser for the hosts but his first-half stoppage time free kick bounced off the crossbar.
To make matters worse for Xabi Alonso's team, who host Bayern in the return leg on Tuesday, attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz suffered an ankle injury in the 54th minute and the Germany international had to be substituted.
Alonso said Wirtz had been taken to hospital for a scan and there was no information yet on the extent of his injury or if he would be fit for Tuesday's game against Bayern.
"It is too early to say," Alonso said. "We have to see what the feeling is, what the result of the scan is and then we will have the information."
Despite some late pressure but only a handful of chances, Leverkusen could not find the equaliser and it was Werder, in 12th place on 33 points, who scored again, in stoppage time with Justin Njinmah.
