Why Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen are ones to watch out for in Bundesliga 2023-24?

Bayer Leverkusen are gaining much attention thanks to their impressive performances under the tactician

The German Bundesliga is full of exciting teams that play attractive football. It is a highly competitive league and one that offers incredible entertainment to football fans around the world. Despite FC Bayern Munich’s dominance, there are clubs that are showing ambition to dethrone the Bavarians and one of them is Bayer Leverkusen.

Xabi Alonso took over the manager’s post at Bayer Leverkusen on 5 October 2022. The former Real Madrid and Liverpool legend is impressing the football fraternity with his managerial prowess which is helping Die Werkself mount a strong challenge in the league. 

This is the first senior team that the 41-year-old is managing after leading the youth teams of Real Madrid and Real Sociedad in the past. Bayer Leverkusen is one to watch out for in the Bundesliga’s 2023-24 season under Xabi Alonso and here is a look into why that is:

Playing Style

Bayer Leverkusen’s playing style has traces of Spanish influence which is obvious because of the man at the helm. The side starts with a 3-4-2-1 formation but transitions to a more adventurous 4-2-4. The players have clear instructions to stay close to each other and play a possession-based football that involves slick short-distance passes.

The overloads all across the pitch make it hard for the opposition to snatch ball possession from Leverkusen players. Furthermore, there is positional fluidity in the formation which means that players are constantly moving into different positions on the pitch that fixes opposition defenders and creates spaces in low-blocks to exploit. 

Thanks to Xabi Alonso’s influence, Leverkusen is taking a different, less direct approach to attacking in the German Bundesliga. Focusing on shorter, quick passes, positional fluidity and having multiple options due to overloads is making neutrals take notice of the side.

Impressive signings by Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen made impressive moves in the transfer window. The addition of players like Granit Xhaka from Arsenal, Alejandro Grimaldo from Benfica, Jonas Hoffman from Borussia Monchengladbach and Victor Boniface from Union SG have improved the team by a considerable margin.

Victor Boniface in particular has started his life at Bayer Leverkusen stylishly. He scored a brace in a 3-0 away victory over Borussia Monchengladbach. Granit Xhaka’s presence in the midfield keeps the ball ticking and provides a brilliant balance. The wings are a strong area for Leverkusen thanks to impressive starts by Grimaldo and Hoffman. In essence, the side has had a near-perfect strike rate in terms of acquisitions.

Strong start

Bayer Leverkusen is only one of the five teams in the league to win both of their opening two matches. Victories against strong sides such as RB Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach suggest that Die Werkself are one of the contenders for the title or at least the top four UEFA Champions League spots. 

The club finished sixth last season but this season ought to be different as Alonso was able to bring in players that fit his system. Furthermore, a pre-season with the squad helped Alonso channel his tactics and get the players to play according to a system that would bear good results.

Bayer Leverkusen’s 8-0 win over Teutonia 05 in the DFB Pokal saw Xabi Alonso field his strongest XI which further suggests he is serious about winning silverware this season. A favourable fixture against newly promoted Darmstadt is the next assignment for Xabi Alonso’s men. Winning it would mean a perfect start to the 2023-24 campaign for Die Werkself before the first international break.