Xabi Alonso refutes David Moyes’ criticism of Bayer Leverkusen’s behavior during their 2-0 victory over West Ham in the Europa League clash. Late goals from Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface secured a win for the Bundesliga leaders in the first leg of the quarter-final tie.

West Ham will miss Lucas Paqueta in the return fixture due to suspension after he picked up a yellow card in the game against Leverkusen. Moyes expressed anger towards Leverkusen’s bench conduct, accusing them of influencing the referee.

Alonso responded to Moyes’ comments by stating that he believes the yellow card for Paqueta was justified. He acknowledged that coaches often interact with officials and defended Leverkusen’s actions on the touchline.

Alonso emphasized that respecting the decisions made by the referee is crucial and mentioned that both sides have the right to communicate with match officials. He expressed his respect for Moyes but stood by the referee’s decision while focusing on Leverkusen’s own performance rather than the behavior of the opposing team.