Alonso delighted with Leverkusen fightback to preserve historic unbeaten away run

Xabi Alonso expressed his delight with Bayer Leverkusen's second-half performance as they fought back to secure a 2-2 draw with Mainz on Saturday, extending their impressive unbeaten away run.

The match at the Mewa Arena was Alonso's final game in charge of Leverkusen, following his announcement that he would leave the club at the end of the season.

He is widely expected to replace Carlo Ancelotti and return to Real Madrid, where he enjoyed five fruitful years as a player.

Paul Nebel opened the scoring for Mainz in the 35th minute, though Patrik Schick restored parity early in the second half, calmly sending his penalty away from Robin Zentner.

Schick then made it a brace to put Leverkusen ahead five minutes later, but the lead did not last long as Jonathan Burkardt levelled the scoring with a penalty of his own just past the hour mark.

The draw allowed Leverkusen to set a new Bundesliga record, remaining unbeaten in their 34th consecutive away league match.

Speaking after the match, Alonso expressed his pride at this achievement.

"We're happy to have gone two full seasons unbeaten away from home," the 43-year-old said.

"In the first half, I had my doubts about whether we would manage it, but the reaction we showed in the second half was very positive.

"Overall, we've had a good season, finishing second and having a strong Champions League campaign."

Indeed, Leverkusen finish as admirable runners-up to Bayern Munich in the league this season, but despite their second-place finish, there is plenty of positivity to take from Alonso's tenure.

Under his guidance, Leverkusen went unbeaten last season to claim the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal – an unprecedented feat in German football.

Their new record of 34 consecutive away matches unbeaten also usurps the record of 33 away matches without loss previously held by Bayern between 2012 and 2014.

Reflecting on his departure, Alonso admitted: "It's a pity we're not playing the cup final on Saturday. That would have made this goodbye even more special."

The Spaniard was also quick to express his gratitude to the Leverkusen supporters, adding: "I want to thank all the fans, especially.

"The atmosphere during my farewell was truly amazing. You don't forget moments like this."

Saturday's draw marked Alonso's 94th Bundesliga game in charge of Leverkusen. Since taking over in October 2022, he has picked up 204 points with the Werkself, with only Bayern having collected more during this period (207).

Alonso's points-per-game average of 2.17 is the best of any Leverkusen head coach in the club's top-flight history.