Xabi Alonso lauds Stuttgart: "One of the best teams in Europe"
It's first versus third when Bayer Leverkusen welcome VfB Stuttgart to the BayArena on Saturday night in one of the most anticipated Bundesliga games of the weekend.
Ahead of the game, Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso made it clear just how much respect he has for the opponent.
"They have a clear vision and play very attractive football," said Xabi Alonso at a press conference on Friday.
"They are very courageous on the ball and very aggressive off it. Overall, they are very complete and flexible in their system. I like the way they play.
"For me, they are one of the best teams in Europe this season," the Spaniard added.
Xabi will be without one of his key players, as Granit Xhaka is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card against Borussia Dortmund last week.
Speaking about Xhaka's absence, the Spaniard said:
"It's normal to get a fifth yellow card after a long period with four. I'm sure we'll have a good performance and a good line-up.