“Alonso Exceptional Unbeaten Run and Europa League Heartbreak”

Alonso Bayer Leverkusen’s manager, lauded his team’s remarkable unbeaten streak, labeling it as “exceptional,” despite the bitter disappointment of its termination in the Europa League final.

The German outfit has been a standout this season, clinching a 51-game unbeaten run alongside securing the Bundesliga title. However, their aspirations for European glory were shattered on Wednesday night, succumbing to a 3-0 defeat against Italian contenders Atalanta at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

The loss, their first since May 27 last year, left Alonso with mixed emotions. While proud of the team’s accomplishments over the past year, he admitted the defeat in the Europa League final was particularly hard to swallow.

Atalanta wins the trophy over Alonso ‘s Bayer

“Atalanta outperformed us and rightfully claimed the trophy,” remarked the former Liverpool midfielder. “It was simply not our day. We had a rough night, and it stings that it occurred in such a crucial match.”

Alonso continued, “It’s not commonplace to suffer the first defeat in the 52nd game. What we’ve achieved is extraordinary, and we should take pride in it. However, it’s also painful.”

Leverkusen’s unbeaten streak was often preserved through dramatic late-game heroics, but against Atalanta, they were never in contention. Ademola Lookman’s hat-trick secured Atalanta’s first trophy in 61 years and dashed Leverkusen’s hopes of an undefeated season and a treble.

“We couldn’t execute our game plan as desired,” Alonso acknowledged. “After conceding the first goal, Atalanta displayed immense energy, and we struggled to find answers to their dominance. We failed to assert ourselves or create scoring opportunities.”

Despite the setback, Leverkusen must regroup and redirect their focus towards claiming a second trophy to cap off a memorable campaign. Their next challenge is against second-tier side Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on Saturday.

“For a club like Leverkusen, what we’ve achieved is remarkable,” Alonso reflected on TNT Sports. “Securing the Bundesliga title and reaching the Europa League final is significant. While we couldn’t clinch it, aiming for the Pokal [German Cup] holds immense importance.”