Alonso calls for defensive improvement
Xabi Alonso wants to see defensive improvements from Bayer Leverkusen, as he prepares for an "intense" game against Stuttgart.
Leverkusen, the defending Bundesliga champion, has already shipped 15 goals in the league this season.
Alonso's men sit third, five points behind joint-leader Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig and three ahead of eighth-placed Stuttgart ahead of Saturday's clash.
Leverkusen has dropped nine points from winning positions in the Bundesliga this season, with only Wolfsburg worse off (11). It is are the only team to have led in all eight of its league games.
That is after Leverkusen did not squander a single point after taking the lead last season, and Alonso says there is plenty of room for improvement.
"The last few games against Stuttgart have been really exciting," he said. "We are already feeling a good energy ahead of the game and we have prepared for the intensity that we expect. It’s a huge game.
"It's a big task for us to improve our defensive performance. We can score a lot of goals but we must not concede them.
"We hope to keep a clean sheet and we need to play well with and without the ball."
Stuttgart has not made a flying start to it Bundesliga campaign, though it has reeled off three straight wins in all competitions, including beating Juventus in the Champions League.
"There are a lot of emotions in these matches and Stuttgart are a strong team," Alonso said. "They deserve their place in the Champions League."
Stuttgart has led in each of its five competitive games against Leverkusen under Sebastian Hoeness, but has not won any of them.
The last three meetings have seen Leverkusen score after the 88-minute mark.
Despite its iffy form this season, the defending champion has lost just one of its last 42 Bundesliga games (W32, D9).
Leverkusen picked up the most points in the league by far since the start of last season (105), followed by Bayern (92), Leipzig and Stuttgart (both 85).
