8.05.2024Werkself-TV

Alonso ahead of #B04ASR: “Expecting a top spectacle with a great atmosphere”

Bayer 04 have the final of the UEFA Europa League firmly in their sights as they prepare to host Roma at a sold-out BayArena for the semi-final second leg on Thursday (kick-off: 9pm CEST). The Werkself have a 2-0 lead from last week’s first leg in Rome and are well placed to reach a first European final in over 20 years. Ahead of the return fixture, head coach Xabi Alonso and defender Edmond Tapsoba spoke at the club’s press conference on Wednesday and gave a warning about a motivated opponent.

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“Second legs are always dangerous, so the result from last week is irrelevant. A goal from Roma tomorrow can immediately change the game. We need to go into the match with the highest concentration again,” Alonso stressed to the media.

The Spaniard is expecting a “top spectacle with a great atmosphere. I remember the support from last year. We’ll need that sort of energy from the fans again tomorrow.” He was referring to last season’s semi-final second leg where Leverkusen bowed out after a 0-0 draw despite having 23 shots to one at the BayArena. “We obviously haven’t forgotten what happened last year, the pain we felt. We hope we can celebrate this time,” Alonso added.

Tapsoba: “Dream to reach the final”

Tapsoba also stressed a similar point when he took to the podium: “We really suffered last year. It’s our dream to reach the final this time. We’ll give our all.” The centre-back believes that one difference between then and now is the maturity of the team: “We’re playing in a very mature way this season. We always try to play with control. We’ve managed that well so far. I’m really very happy to be part of this team.”

The defender also gave an insight into how the team will approach tomorrow’s encounter: “We’ll try to play to our own rhythm. It’ll be a tough game, but we like games like this. We take every match and every opponent very seriously.”

Wirtz and Grimaldo to return at sold-out BayArena

Alonso also confirmed that he has a full squad at his disposal for Thursday, including Florian Wirtz and Alejandro Grimaldo after the pair were rested in the 5-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Whoever does take to the pitch will do so in front of a packed BayArena, including 1,800 visiting supporters from Italy.

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