Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso saw his team’s long unbeaten run in the league come to an end with the defeat to RasenBallsport Leipzig.
The champions were two goals ahead thanks to efforts from Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo but Kevin Kampl and a brace from Lois Openda helped Leipzig to three points.
“We’ll take a lot of positives and negatives from this game,” Alonso said after the game.
“We played a good game in the first half. We were happy with that and wanted to build on it in the second. [But] We had no control in the second half and gave Leipzig too much space. We didn’t do well in the back line.
“We will learn from these mistakes. It’s not good to let an opponent come back after leading 2-0. But it’s a process, we’re still early in the season.”
Leipzig brought an end to Leverkusen’s 35-game unbeaten streak, leaving them one result away from equalling Hamburg’s tally of 36 games unbeaten in the 1982-83 campaign – Bundesliga’s second-longest run after Bayern Munich’s record of 53 under Pep Guardiola.
“We were in a good flow after taking a 2-0 lead, but we then have to be ready to defend,” Alonso continued.
“We want to attack together, but we also have to defend together. We’ll work through the game after the international break.”
