Xabi Alonso pleased with Amine Adli’s successful Bundesliga comeback | OneFootball

Bayer Leverkusen can entertain some hopes of getting back into the 2024/25 Bundesliga title race after getting the job done against Holstein Kiel on Saturday afternoon. Three points gained from their trip north places some light pressure on leaders Bayern Munich, who face a tough test at home against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

The slim hopes of the defending champions for a repeat didn’t really seem on the mind of Werkself head coach Xabi Alonso on Saturday afternoon. The Basque trainer had too much good news to celebrate from the 2-0 away win.

Back-up keeper Matej Kovar kept his second clean sheet in his third league appearance and striker Patrik Schick scored his 15th Bundesliga goal of the season and 20th across all competitions.

Naturally, the real piece of good news came from the fact that Moroccan international Amine Adli got off the mark in his first Bundesliga start since October. A fractured tibia had kept the 24-year-old out of action since matchday seven.

“Having Amine back on the pitch is very important for everyone,” Xabi noted at the post-match press conference. “His attitude and quality are extremely important for the team. We saw today what an impact he has on the pitch. We are very happy to have him with us for the rest of the season.”

GGFN | Peter Weis