Xabi Alonso said it was an "incredible" thrill to beat Bayern Munich as the Bayer Leverkusen boss enhanced his growing reputation with Sunday's victory.
Former Bayern midfielder Alonso, who won three Bundesliga titles in a three-year spell with the Bavarians, has turned his hand to coaching since 2017 and dealt his old team a huge blow to their hopes of an 11th successive championship.
Alonso took over at Leverkusen in October, shortly after a 4-0 defeat away to Bayern, and has lifted the team from second-bottom at the time of his arrival to eighth position.
They are just three points off sixth after a 2-1 win over Bayern, who trail Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund by one point with nine rounds of games remaining.
Victory came courtesy of two Exequiel Palacios penalties, after Bayern took the lead through Joshua Kimmich.
Bizarrely, Amine Adli was booked for diving initially in both penalty incidents, before the bookings were rescinded and spot-kicks were awarded.
"The feeling after the game is incredible," said Alonso, quoted on the Bundesliga website.
"We won against one of the best teams in Europe."
His team are also through to the Europa League quarter-finals, with Alonso's first season proving a roaring success so far. They won away to Ferencvaros on Thursday, and following that up by beating the 10-in-a-row German champions was no mean feat.
"I'm very happy and proud that we were able to continue the performance from the Europa League," Alonso said. "It was very important that we equalised. We played with a lot of energy and it wasn't easy."
Referee Tobias Stieler spoke about the penalty incidents and pointed out the value of VAR, thanking the television match official.
"He was my lifesaver – and also the lifesaver for the game," Stieler told DAZN. "In the end, both teams were happy because the right decision was made."
He was glad Adli was not affronted by the decisions that initially went against him.
"The only thing left to do is take it with humour," Stieler said. "We hugged each other during the game and also after the game. Now he promised me the shirt."
Nashville SC v San Jose Earthquakes: ‘A win would change everything’ - Godoy
Anibal Godoy insists that Nashville are already looking at their game against San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday as a must-win.
Nashville have won just once in the MLS this season and sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference after a run of four without a win.
The Earthquakes, meanwhile, are bottom of the Western Conference having lost eight of their matches and recording just one win.
Godoy is aware of how their poor start to the season could affect their playoff hopes later down the line but is confident that Nashville can turn things around.
He said: “For us, it's an important week. It's a day we have to win, or we'll start to feel the pressure from other teams as they start to separate in the table.
“This league is long but if we want to get to the playoff you have to win games early on, especially at home.”
Liverpool agree compensation deal for Slot
Liverpool and Feyenoord have reached an agreement in principle over a compensation deal for Arne Slot to become the Reds’ manager next season, according to widespread Dutch media reports.
The Dutchman is reportedly poised to take over from Jurgen Klopp, who announced in January that he would be leaving the club at the end of the campaign.
Slot led Feyenoord to their second Eredivisie title last season after taking over the club in 2021.
It is believed that he topped the list of Liverpool’s favoured candidates due to his attacking playing style and ability to develop players.
Former Liverpool midfielder, Xabi Alonso, who led Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title, and Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim were also reported contenders to take over from Klopp.
Slot had already confirmed his interest in managing in the Premier League, both earlier this week and previously when he was linked to Tottenham in 2023.
QPR 4-0 Leeds United: Shock loss for Farke's men seals Leicester's promotion
QPR thrashed Leeds United 4-0 in the Championship on Friday, ensuring Leicester City booked their promotion straight back to the Premier League.
Ilias Chair was the star for the Hoops as he scored the opener and assisted two more goals to ensure QPR will stay in the Championship for another season.
Lucas Andersen, Lyndon Dykes and Sam Field also got their names on the scoresheet in an emphatic win for Marti Cifuentes' side.
Leeds' heaviest defeat of the season was a huge blow in the race for an automatic promotion spot, with Ipswich Town just one point behind them in third place with two games in hand going into their away clash against Hull City on Saturday.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
