Just over a year ago, Bayer Leverkusen was staring into the abyss. Rock bottom of the Bundesliga table, morale was low, and the future was uncertain. Fast forward to February 2024, and the BayArena is buzzing with positive energy as it gears up to host Bayern Munich in a Bundesliga top-of-the-table clash on Saturday.
Under the astute leadership of former Bayern midfield maestro Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen has undergone a remarkable transformation, morphing from relegation fodder into genuine title contenders.
In October 2022, Leverkusen’s struggles saw Gerardo Seoane sacked, with Alonso, still fresh from his Real Sociedad B stint, stepping into the breach. His immediate impact was undeniable.
Xabi Alonso celebrates with his players. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Steering it clear of the drop zone, he instilled a possession-based, attacking style that resonated with the team’s DNA. Players like Moussa Diaby, Patrik Schick, and Florian Wirtz flourished, their technical prowess unleashed within Alonso’s structured freedom.
The results followed swiftly.
From a relegation position, Leverkusen clawed its way back up the table, eventually finishing a respectable sixth and securing a Europa League spot.
This season, however, it has truly taken the footballing world by storm. An unbeaten run stretching across all competitions (30 matches) has seen them top the table, two points ahead of the mighty Bayern Munich.
Its brand of attractive, attacking football has won plaudits, with even Bayern captain Manuel Neuer acknowledging that Leverkusen “plays like Xabi played.”
Alonso has also attracted interest from various ‘big clubs’ across Europe, most notably being tipped as the favourite to be the successor of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
A style rooted in balance
“We want to play modern football. That means: intensity with and without the ball, being more active than passive and with a strong mentality,” said Alonso to Diario AS about his approach.
He deploys a flexible 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1, with the back three offering solidity and the wing-backs providing crucial width in attack. The midfield duo acts as a bridge, controlling the tempo and orchestrating attacks. Up front, a mobile forward line prioritises movement and combination play.
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This system provides offensive dynamism and defensive stability, allowing Leverkusen to adapt to different game situations. The summer acquisitions of Granit Xhaka (€25m), Victor Boniface (€20m), Jonas Hofmann (€10m) and Alex Grimaldo (free) have enabled Alonso to assert his philosophy on the pitch this season.
Alonso emphasises ball possession, with Leverkusen boasting the highest average possession (62.6%) in the Bundesliga. It seeks to control the game’s rhythm through patient passing (most average passes of 640 per match) and intricate build-up play (most passes per sequence). Its short, snappy passes create triangles and overloads, breaking down defences and opening up scoring opportunities.
The wing-backs play a pivotal role in Leverkusen’s attacking strategy. They bomb forward, stretching the opposition’s defence and creating space for overlapping runs from midfielders. Alonso also encourages full-back inversions, where one (Grimaldo) tucks into midfield while the other (Jeremie Frimpong) pushes high, further confusing the opposition and creating numerical advantages.
The front three are fluid, interchanging positions frequently to keep defenders guessing. Victor Boniface, the new striking sensation, provides a focal point with his intelligent movement and clinical finishing.
Despite its attacking intent, Leverkusen maintains a solid defensive structure. The back three is well-drilled, utilising zonal marking and aggressive pressing to win the ball back high up the pitch.
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The wing-backs track back diligently, and the midfielders offer cover, ensuring defensive stability even when pushing forward. This commitment to defending as a unit has seen Leverkusen concede the fewest goals in the league (14).
Despite being filled with developing youngsters like Boniface, Florian Wirtz, Frimpong, Exequiel Palacios, Piero Hincapie and Edmond Tapsoba, Alonso has managed to steer the team within the whisker of clinching its first-ever league title.
Bayer: No longer ‘Neverkusen’
In the 2001-02 season, Leverkusen was on course to win a treble but was pipped by Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on the final day, lost the final of DFB-Pokal (German Cup) to Schalke and was beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League final. This prompted the English media to dub the club as ‘Neverkusen’ - the club which never wins.
Founded in 1904 by employees of the German pharmaceutical company Bayer AG, the club has finished as runner-up in the Bundesliga five times without winning the competition, a record in German football. The club has won only two major trophies in its history; one UEFA Cup (modern-day Europa League) in 1987-88 and one DFB-Pokal in 1992-93.
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However, this season, under the tutelage of Alonso, Leverkusen appears ready to shake off its infamous moniker. It is currently leading the Bundesliga table, booked itself a place in the semifinals of DFB-Pokal and qualified for the round of 16 in the Europa League while remaining the only unbeaten team in Europe’s top five leagues.
The promise of a new dawn
The Bundesliga has long been under the shadow of Bayern Munich’s relentless dominance. But this season, Bayer Leverkusen’s unexpected rise has injected a shot of adrenaline into the league, rekindling excitement and raising hopes for a long-awaited power shift, especially after Dorumunds’ near-miss last season.
Leverkusen’s emergence signifies more than just a potential title contender. Replacing Bayern at the top wouldn’t just break the predictability; it would ignite a passion that’s been simmering under ashes.
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The upcoming clash against Bayern is more than just a game; it’s a potential turning point. Victory for Leverkusen would not only extend its lead but also serve as a resounding statement of its title ambitions.
Bayern, however, will try to reclaim its customary top spot with Harry Kane eyeing his first-ever major silverware and a record-breaking debut season. Yet, even for the Bavarian giants, facing an in-form Leverkusen on its turf will be a daunting task, especially with injuries to key players such as Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry and Alphonso Davies among others and with Neuer being an injury doubt.
The atmosphere at BayArena will be electric on matchday. The Leverkusen faithful, long starved of success, will be baying for blood, while the neutrals will relish the prospect of a pulsating encounter.
Leverkusen players celebrate after the German cup quarterfinal match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. | Photo Credit: AP
It’s a battle for narrative, a chance for Leverkusen to rewrite its history and prove that its rise is no mere flash in the pan.
German football is witnessing the birth of a thrilling title race, and Bayer Leverkusen is at the heart of it.
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