Alonso: Leverkusen aim to 'go as far as possible in all competitions'

Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso pictured prior to the start of the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg at BayArena. Marius Becker/dpa

Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso is taking nothing for granted when they aim for victory over Qarabag on Thursday to reach the Europa League quarter-finals and continue their season-long unbeaten run in all competitions.

Alonso insisted on Werdnesday that he has no priorities as they chase a title treble from the Bundesliga, German Cup and Europe's second tier event.

"Our focus is on all of them. We want to go as far as possible in all three competitions," he said.

"We will give our all tomorrow. On Sunday in the league in Freiburg we will give our all. And then again in the [German] Cup."

Bayer's unbeaten run in all competitions stands at 36 and includes two group stage wins against Qarabag.

But it took an injury time goal from Patrik Schick last week to salvage a 2-2 draw in Azerbaijan to keep the streak alive.

Alonso says that despite a 5-1 win at home in the group the job still needs to be completed on Thursday, just as in the Bundesliga where they are 10 points clear at the top, and in the German Cup where they are the only remaining top flight team in the semi-finals.

"No one is invincible, we are fighting that we can compete in all games and competitions," he said.

"We have a good squad, the players are hungry to compete and win as many games as possible. We are not thinking about the final game, just the next one."

Asked whether the Europa League was perhaps the toughest title to win now, Alonso named all competitions "difficult" over the remaining weeks until late May.

"The Cup is perhaps the shortest path, we are in the semi-finals. There are still three stages in the Europa League, that's a long way. But May is not yet in our head," he said.

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