Bayer Leverkusen’s Chance to Make History

Bayer Leverkusen have hit remarkable heights this season. They’re top of the Bundesliga by seven points with 10 games to go, they beat defending champions Bayern Munich 3-0, they’re the only unbeaten team in Europe’s top five leagues, and they’re one of the favorites to win the Europa League. You could say Bayer Leverkusen are having a season as close to perfection as it can get. What has changed at this club? After finishing sixth last season, their progress has caught the attention of many. Let’s dive into the reasons behind Die Schwarzroten’s incredible season so far.

One key component of Bayer Leverkusen’s success has been the impact of new manager Xabi Alonso. There is a reason why he has been tipped for a job at top clubs including Liverpool and Bayern Munich. Though Alonso was appointed Leverkusen manager in October 2022, his first managerial role, he is not new to the soccer world by any means. Alonso has already had a stellar career, being an integral part of great teams like Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich, and winning two Champions Leagues along the way.

When he was hired, Leverkusen were languishing near the bottom after eight matchweeks and facing a relegation battle. That same season, Alonso managed to bring Leverkusen up to sixth place, thereby qualifying for the Europa League.

Alonso’s incredible tactical knowledge has been a catalyst for Leverkusen’s success. Working under several all-time great managers such as Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, and Rafa Benitez has proved a great foundation for his managerial career. This season, he has mainly utilized a 3-4-2-1 formation that heavily relies on the attacking output of the wingbacks. Both wingbacks Alejandro Grimaldo and Jeremy Frimpong are integral to this, playing a key role in both attack and defense. When building up, he often uses a 3-2 shape with a double-six pivot of Granit Xhaka and Exequiel Palacios, a tactic that has gained a lot of popularity in the modern game. For instance, Champions League winners Manchester City utilized this effectively with Rodri at the six and John Stones at center back. When attacking, he sets up with a front five. Both wingbacks hold the width (Grimaldo and Frimpong), two players (midfielders Florian Wirtz and Jonas Hofmann) occupy the half-spaces, and a center forward acts as the focal point of the attack (striker Victor Boniface).

Aside from his tactical knowledge, Alonso’s excellent man-management has helped elevate Leverkusen to the next level. Many of his players have spoken out on the tremendous impact he has brought since his arrival, showing how Alonso’s impact stretches far beyond the pitch. “You can look at our performances and see that our style has changed. He is a great coach, he came and gave us new energy, it was a fresh start,” Frimpong said. Alonso’s impact on his players has given him a reputation for being able to get the best out of them, another reason why he is so desired in this summer’s managerial carousel.

Not only have his own players praised him, but so have other managers. When questioned about Alonso potentially becoming his replacement, soon-departing Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp heaped praise upon the Spaniard. “Xabi is doing an incredible job. If you would have asked me eight weeks ago about Xabi Alonso I would have gone: ‘Oh my God,’” Klopp said. It is no surprise that other managers have come out and said this, considering that Alonso has brought Leverkusen from the relegation battle to title challengers in just over a year. 

While Alonso has been a catalyst in Leverkusen’s success, another reason is the emergence of several young stars. Leverkusen have assembled a squad full of talent and quality, something lacking in recent campaigns. Rising attackers Boniface and Wirtz have had stellar campaigns so far, registering 24 and 25 goal contributions in all competitions, respectively. With Boniface aged 23 and Wirtz aged 20, they definitely have promising careers ahead of them. Another player who has impressed heavily this season, and quite surprisingly, is midfielder Granit Xhaka. Signed from Arsenal last summer for €15 million, Xhaka has quickly become one of the most indispensable players in the squad. Though aged 31 years old, he is an example of a player who only has gotten better with age. Several years back, when stripped of captaincy at Arsenal, it looked like his career was falling apart. However, he has been able to bounce back from that and has been a key part of two title charges in the last two seasons (one being with Arsenal last season). His move to Bayer Leverkusen now looks to have been one of the bargains of the summer. 

Though these rising stars have been shining lights for Leverkusen this season, it remains to be seen whether they will be able to retain these talents in the coming seasons. In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich have a history of poaching their rival’s best players in the last few seasons. Bayern have done so with many players, including striker Robert Lewandoski from Dortmund, center back Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig, defender Mats Hummels from Dortmund, and many more. Expect Bayern to try the same trick this year again.

With 10 games to go, and being chased by serial winners Bayern Munich (who have won the Bundesliga for all of the last 12 seasons), the job is certainly not done. After all, a very similar story was written last season in the English Premier League with Arsenal, who despite being top of the league for 248 days and eight points clear at one point, lost out to Manchester City. Time will tell if Bayer Leverkusen will face a similar fate, but it seems increasingly unlikely. Bayer Leverkusen have been rampant this season and hold an extremely comfortable lead over Bayern Munich in the table. Furthermore, Bayern look in complete disarray. After a series of poor results (including Leverkusen’s 3-0 humbling of the Bavarian giants), Bayern Munich have announced that Head Coach Thomas Tuchel will depart at the end of the season. Moreover, there have been several reports of a discontent squad and other internal issues. Bayer Leverkusen have a huge opportunity to win the Bundesliga this season, and make history with Xabi Alonso.