Alonso Hails 'Efficient' Leverkusen After Feyenoord Rout

Xabi Alonso praises his team's clinical performance in the Europa League victory

Bayer Leverkusen secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Dutch side Feyenoord in the first leg of their Europa League play-off to boost their hopes of reaching the last 16.

Moussa Diaby gave the Bundesliga side an early lead before Robert Andrich and Amine Adli added further goals in the second half to put Alonso's team in a commanding position ahead of the return leg next week.

The victory was Leverkusen's second in a row in all competitions, having also beaten Borussia Monchengladbach 3-2 in the Bundesliga on Saturday. It was also their first clean sheet in six matches.

Alonso was pleased with his team's performance, particularly their efficiency in front of goal.

"I'm very happy with the result," he said. "We were very efficient in front of goal and we took our chances. We also defended well and kept a clean sheet, which is important at this stage of the competition.

"It was a good performance all around and we're in a good position now going into the second leg," Alonso added.

Leverkusen will host Feyenoord in the second leg of the play-off on February 23 with a place in the last 16 at stake.

In-depth analysis of Leverkusen's performance

Leverkusen produced a clinical performance to beat Feyenoord 3-0 in the first leg of their Europa League play-off. The Bundesliga side took the lead through Moussa Diaby in the 12th minute and doubled their advantage through Robert Andrich in the 57th minute. Amine Adli sealed the victory with a third goal in the 80th minute.

Leverkusen were the better team throughout the match and created several chances to score. They were also solid defensively and kept Feyenoord at bay for long periods.

The victory was Leverkusen's second in a row in all competitions and will give them confidence ahead of the second leg next week.

Key players for Leverkusen

Moussa Diaby was Leverkusen's standout player in the first leg against Feyenoord. The French winger scored the opening goal and was a constant threat to the Feyenoord defense. He also created several chances for his teammates.

Robert Andrich and Amine Adli also impressed for Leverkusen. Andrich scored the second goal and was solid in midfield, while Adli added the third goal and was a lively presence on the left wing.

Conclusion

Leverkusen put one foot in the last 16 of the Europa League with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Feyenoord in the first leg of their play-off. The Bundesliga side were clinical in front of goal and solid defensively, and they will be confident of finishing the job in the second leg next week.