Xabi Alonso is looking for a big improvement from Bayer Leverkusen against fellow Champions League side RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Saturday. (More Football News)
After a 3-2 league win at Borussia Mon𒊎chengladbach, Leverkusen edged to a narrow 1-0 victory at fourth-tier FC🍃 Carl Zeiss Jena in the first round of the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday.
Despite winning their opening two games of the season, and maintaining their🉐 impressive unbeaten streak, Alonso said his double-winning side are far from their best selves.
"We know ꦚthat we can play better and have not yet reached our top l🐓evel yet. We need to work on that," Alonso told reporters on Friday.
"That's why we want to carry on working. It's a process to achieve that level, but it's our aim, and we're focused 🎐on that. And I'm confident we can do 🌃it too.
"The players knꦚow exactly what they have to do. We have a good flow in our game, and we have to maintain that so that we can work both with🐲 and without the ball."
Leverkusen and Leipzig will both play Liverpool, In💖ter and Atletico Madrid in the revamped Champions League, with Alonso conceding that Saturday's match could be a test of his side's potential in that competition.
"The game with Leipzi♑g is a top match at Champions League level. They are very good opponents with very strong individual and collective quality and a great coach [Marco Rose]."
"We have eight great opponents, and it will for sure be inte🃏nse, and obviously I am looking forward to going back to Anfield."
Leverkusen captain Lukas Hradecky has been ruled out due t🐻o illness and will be replaced by Matej Kovar in goal, Alonso also confirmed.
