Bayer Leverkusen predicted line for 2023-24 season

Published at :August 17, 2023 at 1:15 PM

Modified at :January 13, 2024 at 5:53 PM

Xabi Alonso will once again be looking to show his class this season

After the 2022-23 season of Bundesliga football ended, Bayer Leverkusen found themselves just about securing a Europa League spot. Actually, a narrow lead that too just by a goal difference separated the final standings of Bundesliga clubs that ended up sixth and seventh last season. Bayer 04 Leverkusen with fifty points and an eight-goal difference got the final ticket from Germany for Europa League Group stages. While Eintracht Frankfurt with a goal difference of six and the same points tally ended up in Europa Conference League qualifiers.

The club though believes in Xabi Alonso’s vision which can be seen by the contract extension that was rewarded to him ten days back. Leverkusen did have a great Europa League last season. After dropping off from the Champions League Group stages to the Europa League Round of 32, they went on to the semi-final stages. Die Werkselfs were eventually knocked out by Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma.

Now after selling Moussa Diaby for €55 million and a few new faces included, here’s how Bayer Leverkusen could lineup in the following season:

Formation 4-2-3-1

GK: Lukas Hradecky

The captain and the reliable man in between the sticks for Bayer 04 Leverkusen will continue with his regular duties. Lukas Hradecky has been serving the club since 2018 after a free transfer move from Eintracht Frankfurt. The 33-year-old has already claimed a clean sheet for the 2023-24 season after a DFB-Pokal First Round showdown against Teutonia Ottensen. He will also have a new duty of guiding the younger newly joined Matěj Kovář from Manchester United.

RB: Jeremie Frimpong

The first round DFB-Pokal wasn’t just a clean sheet for Lukas Hradecky. Actually, it was an 8-0 demolition of Teutonia Ottensen. Jeremie Frimpong scored the 67′ minute goal. Now the former Man City youth product is expected to increase his tally going into the 2023-24 season. Last season, Frimpong managed to add 9 goals for his side plus provided 11 assists in 48 games.

CB: Piero Hincapié

The left-footed centre-back will perfectly slot in Xabi Alonso’s plans as he did last season. The Ecuadorian international played a total of 3,658′ minutes for the Die Werkselfs in the recent 2022-23 season. And the 21-year-old former Club Atlético Talleres man hasn’t been in Europe for too long either. His transfer to Leverkusen in August 2021 is his first club in Europe. However, he will miss out on opening two fixtures in the 2023-24 Bundesliga for Leverkusen for his last season’s red card suspension that is yet to be served.

CB: Edmond Tapsoba

The centre-back pairing in Leverkusen’s season might take a hit or maybe not. Reportedly Premier League clubs of the stature of Tottenham Hotspurs and Manchester United are seemingly keeping tabs on Tapsoda. Leverkusen manager, Xabi Alonso may be wary of this fact already. The Burkina Faso international already has scored in the first competitive game for BayArena supporters in DFB-Pokal.

LB: Alejandro Grimaldo

The 27-year-old from Valencia, Spain joined the side just in July. He has already got full 90 minutes on the pitch with the team in DFB-Pokal’s first round. Alejandro Grimaldo was on the books of FB Barcelona’s B-team for four years. Although he never got a chance to deliver it for the first team. A move to Benfica gave him more pockets of opportunity. And after seven years in Portugal, Grimaldo has scored 27 goals and provided a massive 66 assists in 303 appearances.

CM: Granit Xhaka

Another player who left after seven years with his former side to join Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen is Granit Xhaka. The 30-year-old Swiss international is not a new face to the Bundesliga. He has featured for Borussia Mönchengladbach between 2012 to 2016 before Arsenal came calling. Last season Xhaka helped Arsenal claim a Champions League spot after they finished second in the Premier League.

CM: Exequiel Palacios

The central midfielder was initially groomed by the River Plate youth system. River Plate’s Academy has produced several great talents over the years. Hernan Crespo, Erik Lamela, and Javier Mascherano are some of the renowned names to have come through. In January 2020, Palacios was recruited by Bayer Leverkusen where he already has 87 appearances on the field.

RM: Jonas Hofmann

Aston Villa captured Leverkusen’s star man Moussa Diaby in what is reported to be a £50 million deal including add-ons. But that wasn’t a fretting loss for either Xabi Alonso or the fans. Why would you ask? Basically, before this deal even materialized, the BayArena hosts had already welcomed Jonas Hofmann. Hofmann was serving Borussia Mönchengladbach as a right winger, a spot that Diaby also held at Leverkusen.

CAM: Florian Wirtz

The centre attacking midfield position is set to be occupied by Florian Wirtz. The 20-year-old German wonder kid is often compared to the likes of former Leverkusen man Kai Havertz. Though Xabi Alonso used him sparingly last season, Wirtz was involved in 17 Bundesliga games. This season we expect him to be given much more game time and priority.

LM: Amine Adli

On the opposite flank of Hofmann, Amine Adli will lead the line. The Frenchman has already begun the new competitive season with excellence. Providing two assists and scoring a goal in the First round of DFB-Pokal this Saturday will give his season further drive and motivation. Last season 2000 year born Adli scored five goals while also helping his teammates score another five.

ST: Patrik Schick

At this point in time Patrik Schick might be injured until September end with an adductor injury. But given his track record, we expect him to get down and running for Xabi Alonso’s Die Werkselfs after his return. Though he is surely expected to be given competition by new signing Victor Boniface. The 22-year-old Nigerian centre-forward has already hit the ground running in his first competitive debut by netting a goal.

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