Xabi Alonso 'happy and proud' as Leverkusen boss haunts Bayern with huge Bundesliga win

Xabi Alonso said it was an 'incredible' thrill to beat Bayern Munich as the Bayer Leverkusen boss cemented his growing reputation with Sunday's win.

Ex-Bayern midfielder Alonso, who won three Bundesliga titles in three years with the Bavarians, has turned to coaching since 2017 and dealt a blow to his former team's hopes of an 11th consecutive championship.

Alonso took over at Leverkusen in October, shortly after a 4-0 loss to Bayern, and propelled the team from second-to-bottom as they moved up to eighth.

They are just three points off sixth place after a 2-1 victory over Bayern, who trail Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund by one point with nine rounds of fixtures remaining.< /p>

The victory came thanks to two penalties from Exequiel Palacios, after Bayern took the lead through Joshua Kimmich.

Bizarrely, Amine Adli was penalized for diving initially in both penalty incidents, before the penalties were overturned and a penalty shootout was awarded.

"The feeling after the game is incredible," said Alonso, as quoted by the Bundesliga website.

"We won against one of the best teams in Europe."

His side are also through to the Europa League quarter-finals, with Alonso's debut season proving a resounding success so far. They won at Ferencvaros on Thursday, and then beating 10 German champions in a row was no small feat.

"I am very happy and proud that we were able to continue the Europa League performance," said Alonso. "It was very important that we equalised. We played with a lot of energy and it wasn't easy."

Referee Tobias Stieler spoke about the penalty incidents and highlighted the value of VAR, thanking the official for the televised match.

“He was my lifeline — and also the lifeline for the game,” Stieler told DAZN. "In the end, both teams were happy because the right decision had been made."

He was glad that Adli was not offended by the decisions that initially went against him.

"The only thing left is to take it with humor," Stieler said. "We kissed during the game and also after the game. Now he promised me the shirt.”