Leverkusen's Alonso Praises Team's Discipline After 3-2 Win at Dortmund

Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso heaped praise on his team's discipline and resilience after their thrilling 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Friday.

Alonso's side stormed into a 3-0 lead within the opening 19 minutes, with goals from Patrik Schick (2), and Moussa Diaby. While Dortmund rallied with two late goals, Leverkusen held on for a crucial win that moved them to within one point of league leaders Bayern Munich.

"I am very proud of the team's performance," Alonso said after the match. "We showed great discipline and focus, especially in the first half. We knew it would be a tough game against a strong opponent, and we had to be at our best to get the three points."

Alonso also singled out the performance of his young players, who have been instrumental in Leverkusen's impressive start to the season.

"We have a lot of young talent in this team, and they are showing great maturity and potential," he said. "They are learning and improving with every game, and I am very excited about what the future holds for them."

The victory over Dortmund will give Leverkusen a huge boost of confidence as they look to challenge for the Bundesliga title this season. Alonso's side have now won their last four league games and are playing with a swagger and belief that suggests they could be serious contenders.

"We are taking things one game at a time," Alonso said. "But we are confident in our ability and we will continue to work hard to achieve our goals."

Leverkusen's next game is against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday.