Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso was disappointed at his side's naivety in their 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday. (More Sports News)
Leverkusen had initially gone a goal up against 10-man Atletico, but surrendered their lead in the second half and had a player sent off themselv🌄es, before Julian Alvarez won it late on.
That result put an end to an 11-match winning streak for Leverkusen 🅺a🙈nd leaves them sixth in the league phase with 13 points.
While they are still set to avoid𒅌 a play-off spot and progress straight to the round of 16, Alonso believes that his young team have pl🍌enty to learn ahead of the knockout stages and will take plenty from the defeat.
"I think when you're competing at the hig🎉hest level you have to learn from these experiences," Alonso told Movistar Plus.
"In th🤪ese situations, it's not just football that counts, it's also the maturity that we have ▨at that moment and today I think we lacked that point at the highest level and we have to improve that if we want to compete in these matches.
"We're still in the group stage but if you're in the round of 16, in the quarter-final, especially whꦍen yo♓u play away from home, you have to learn from these moments.
"Understand what it is that you need, not only in the game itself but the game's energy, reading the game and learning what to ౠdo when you're a bit overwhelmed by the situation, how t🌳o react.
"It's very easy to say it but the best thing is when you live it on the pitch that's where you learn how to read it, which sometimes is complicated. For 🐟us 𓂃it's a good experience to be competing at such a high level."
Leverkꩲusen round off their league phase in the Champions League with a game at home🐽 to Sparta Prague next Wednesday.
