Granit Xhaka Criticizes Bayer Leverkusen’s Defensive Performance Despite Victory

Granit Xhaka did not shy away from criticizing his Bayer Leverkusen teammates after a turbulent match against Wolfsburg at the BayArena on Sunday. Despite claiming victory, Xhaka expressed dissatisfaction with the team’s performance, emphasizing the need for improvement.

Xhaka’s criticism came after Leverkusen overcame an early setback to win 4-3. The hosts were initially behind due to an own goal by Nordi Mukiele, but managed to take a 2-1 lead before halftime. However, they went into the break trailing 3-2 following goals from Wolfsburg’s Sebastiaan Bornauw and Mattias Svanberg. Piero Hincapie equalized shortly after the interval, and a last-minute goal from Victor Boniface secured the win.

In an interview following the match, Xhaka, a former midfielder known for his forthrightness, urged the team to confront their shortcomings. “We don’t need to talk about injury time here,” he stated. “We need to be honest with each other, self-critical enough: This is not enough! It can’t be that we concede three goals every game, especially the way we do. It’s just that we don’t make the runs well enough.”

Leverkusen’s impressive 2023-24 season saw them clinching the Bundesliga title and the DfB-Pokal, going unbeaten on home ground. However, the start of the new season has not been as auspicious, with the team sitting second behind Bayern Munich after conceding nine goals in four league matches.

Xhaka did not single out head coach Xabi Alonso, who led the team to its unprecedented league triumph last season. Instead, he emphasized the issue was not with the system but with the mindset. “Whether you want to do those same yards again,” Xhaka explained. “The defense consists of eleven players, not just one or two. We still have a lot of work to do on defense.”

Looking ahead, Leverkusen is preparing for a crucial match against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Under new coach Vincent Kompany, Bayern has a perfect record in the league’s early stages and recently dominated Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.