Nathan Tella, speaking after Bayer Leverkusen's gritty 1-1 draw against West Ham United, emphasized the team's resilience in sealing their place in the UEFA Europa League last four, boasting a 3-1 aggregate scoreline, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
Despite a tough first half, the Bundesliga champions rallied in the second, extending their unbeaten streak to 44 games across all competitions.
Tella, in an interview with Ian Abraham, acknowledged the challenging nature of the match and credited the team's adherence to their principles for the turnaround.
“We knew it would be a difficult place to come. In the first half, we did not play our best football, which won us the league and got us to the position, but we knew that we had to stick to our principles,” Tella said.
“Obviously, the manager said a bit at half-time to get us going again, and the second half was a different performance. We are able to get through, Jeremie scored the goal, and thankfully, we are through.”
Looking ahead, Leverkusen gears up to face AS Roma in the Europa League semi-final.
By Olujimi Dare Ogun