Leverkusen are currently considered the favorites to win the Bundesliga. But they have very little experience with winning titles. If necessary, they even resort to the crowbar.
Granit Xhaka proves his leadership qualities in Leverkusen.
Thilo Schmuelgen / Reuters
No team in Germany plays better football than Bayer Leverkusen. That, in itself, would not be a statement that would have any news value. Because Leverkusen is a team that is traditionally associated with a solid football school. The performances under coach Christoph Daum at the turn of the millennium were spectacular, and those under Klaus Toppmöller were even more spectacular. Jupp Heynckes’ work is also fondly remembered.
They all consolidated Leverkusen’s reputation as a stronghold of cultivated football. The only thing the club lacks is titles, no matter who was in the coaching bench: Leverkusen never knew how to prevail at the crucial moment, which is why the club is given the unflattering nickname “Vizekusen”.
18 games, 15 wins, no defeat
What is currently happening in Leverkusen is all the more astonishing. The only team in the Bundesliga that is still unbeaten is that of Basque coach Xabi Alonso; They won 15 of 18 games. And even more amazing is the way in which Leverkusen achieves their victories. The team only relaxes when they are in the dressing room. That was the case against Augsburg, when many already believed that Leverkusen would be satisfied with a draw. And especially recently against Leipzig, a competitor for a top spot.
In the 94th minute, Ecuadorian Piero Hincapié scored the winner. If necessary, Leverkusen resorts to the crowbar – but in a cultivated way. And so the Leverkusen game under coach Alonso seems fluid and robust at the same time, as if it was made of one piece. There is no comparison to the struggling competition from Munich, where bets are already underway as to whether Thomas Tuchel will still be on the bench at the end of the season. Leverkusen’s lead over FC Bayern has grown to such an extent that they could even afford their first defeat. The direct duel between these teams takes place on February 10th.
For his players, Xabi Alonso is a mentor and driver in one person. He is an extremely active trainer on the pitch.
RHR/Imago
Finding out from Xabi Alonso about his team’s success is not easy. He is friendly and tries to answer all questions in German. But he is nowhere near as willing to provide information as his colleague Tuchel, who many reporters have not yet understood what a stroke of luck he represents for their daily work. Other people tend to talk about Xabi Alonso. One is Granit Xhaka, the Swiss captain who has fundamentally changed Leverkusen’s game since he arrived from Arsenal last summer. He even knows the coach from duels on the Bundesliga pitches.
Xhaka still played against his coach Alonso
Because when Alonso played at Bayern, Xhaka organized the midfield of Borussia Mönchengladbach. Gladbach didn’t lose any of three duels with Bayern with Xhaka. The two were similar in terms of position and also in terms of mentality. It was the leadership qualities that distinguished Xhaka’s performances with Borussia as well as those of Alonso in Munich. About his former opponent Alonso, Xhaka told the NZZ: “He was extremely unpleasant. Thanks to his cleverness, his pass security and his timing, you never had to press against him.
Coach Alonso quickly passes on this experience to his players, says Xhaka. Not only young professionals could benefit from this, he also has a lot to gain from his experience: “I have the feeling that I have taken another step forward in this regard here in Leverkusen. He tells us in small details what turns a good midfielder into a top midfielder.”
For his players, Xabi Alonso is a mentor and driver in one person. At first, the professionals couldn’t believe that they were now standing on the football field with a caliber like him. Alonso is an extremely active trainer. He likes to play along with his eleven, who can find out in a very practical way what kind of footballer their coach once was: an outstanding strategist in the defensive midfield at his clubs in Liverpool, Madrid and Munich. And in the Spanish national team, with which he became world and European champions.
As a coach, Alonso is one of the rare breed of charismatics. But he is not only praised for his aura, the 42-year-old is considered to be obsessed with details. The corners that helped Leverkusen win in Leipzig were recently cited as an indication of his conscientiousness. Such an appreciation for the little things would make a difference when it matters most. Coach rival Thomas Tuchel reacted with irritation when he was asked about his Bayern team’s recent unsuccessful set pieces – he pointed out that things had been different before.
Tuchel’s reaction has something to say. No coach at this level can afford to neglect working on details. It probably suggests that the coach Alonso is already being glorified a little. But his influence is undeniable; the team trusts his directives, which have proven successful so far.
Xabi Alonso’s cleverness is legendary.
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It’s also possible without striker Boniface
It is pointless to argue about strengths and weaknesses. Leverkusen works as a team and also has excellent individuals. At twenty years old, Florian Wirtz is not only the greatest talent in German football – he is already emerging as a leader. And at the beginning of the season, Victor Boniface, the center forward who came from the Belgian league, would certainly have been counted among the Leverkusen supporters.
Boniface was so impressive that some felt they had to scold Bayern for signing Harry Kane and not the Nigerian. The symbiosis of suppleness and power that Boniface brings to the field is impressive. But he also has a long injury history, which is perhaps why he ended up in Leverkusen and not in the English Premier League. Now that he is out and Leverkusen continues to play successfully, it becomes even clearer how robust the team is at its core. So what is he still missing to win the championship?
Possibly the experience of being able to overcome defeat. On the other hand, Alonso’s master plan could also be to make the team champions without defeat.