Bundesliga: Why Hoffenheim Lost To Bayer Leverkusen -Akpoguma

Bundesliga: Why Hoffenheim Lost To Bayer Leverkusen -Akpoguma

Sampson Adedeji

Nigeria's Super Eagles and Hoffenheim defender Kevin Akpoguma has explained the factors behind their 3-1 loss to Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Akpoguma, who played in the match, highlighted the team's inability to recover after conceding early goals.

"We gave up goals too quickly in the first half, which made it hard for us to challenge Leverkusen," Akpoguma said.

"Everyone gave their best effort, but we need to improve our ball control if we want to compete against teams like this. We allowed them to counter too easily."

After Leverkusen's player was sent off, Hoffenheim had more possession, but Akpoguma admitted they failed to capitalize on the advantage.

"We had more of the ball after the red card, but we weren’t dangerous enough," he said.

"We need to address this if we want to stay clear of the relegation zone. There was something missing today."

Akpoguma also pointed to a lack of energy after their mid-week game.

"We showed too much respect to Leverkusen early on, and we were still feeling the effects of Thursday’s match. We’ve put in a lot of energy over the past few weeks."

Despite the setback, Akpoguma remains hopeful.

"We're in a tough spot in the Bundesliga right now, but this break will help us recharge. We hope to have some of the regulars back for next week's match against Union Berlin, which is crucial for us to create some distance from the bottom teams."