Alonso: We Believe in Miracles, and We'll Fight Until the End

Despite a 3-0 loss in the first leg of the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League against Bayern Munich, Xabi Alonso, the head coach of Bayer Leverkusen, believes in his team's ability to achieve a football miracle in the return match scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, March 11, 2025.

During the press conference held on Monday evening, Alonso appeared with great confidence, asserting that his team is capable of turning the tables despite the difficult circumstances.

Alonso said: "Now is the time to prove that we are a complete team, even in the absence of Florian Wirtz, we can win and qualify for him to continue in the Champions League."

He added: "We are in a position where there is nothing to lose; only Bayern Munich could lose. 100% of Bayern's fans believe they have qualified, but football is full of surprises. We can advance, and they can collapse; we must exploit this psychological factor."

He continued: "The Champions League is full of emotions, and if we make mistakes, we won't have a chance, but if we force them to make mistakes, like red cards, penalties, or losing the ball, we may put them under great pressure."

He emphasized: "The mentality has great power in such moments; we must believe and make them feel uncomfortable. Sometimes, in such difficult circumstances, you can achieve something epic."

He added: "If we can score the first goal early, it will have a huge psychological impact; we need to look for this opportunity, create it, and provoke Bayern into making mistakes."

He pointed out: "We want to ignite the stands; the fans have a crucial role in this match. They need to believe from the first minute in our ability to come back; this match could be etched in history."

He concluded his remarks by saying: "This match is different; we must play it with both heart and mind. It should be filled with passion, strength, determination, but also intelligence. We may not get a similar opportunity again in our careers, so we must fight until the end."