Xabi Alonso has excelled in his first job in senior management, so much so that his Bayer Leverkusen side now have set a new record in German football after 25 games unbeaten.
The former Liverpool midfielder made the switch to the Bundesliga side in October 2022 and has since overseen 62 matches, winning 39 and losing just 10.
Alonso has been the subject of widespread praise having transformed Leverkusen from a relegation candidate to a team now sitting at the top of the Bundesliga table.
After 16 league games this season, Alonso has seen his side collect 42 points from an available 48, with 13 wins and three draws, to see them sit four points above Bayern Munich.
Notably, though, they are also unbeaten in domestic and European cup matches this season, meaning Alonso has guided his side to 25 games unbeaten.
It means Leverkusen are the first team in German football to remain unbeaten for that long, as per Squawka, – in that time, they have scored 81 goals and conceded just 18.
“We wanted to play a good opening half to the season, but of course, even the most optimistic would not have thought we’d do it so well,” Alonso said, via AP News.
“We’re in this situation, we’ll enjoy it, but we want to keep going. We don’t want to stop.”
Their formidable form has had to be put on pause as German football enjoys its winter break, but it will not stop praise from coming Alonso’s way.
The 42-year-old’s success so far has attracted plenty of interest from leagues across Europe, though he is tied to Leverkusen until 2026, and claims of a contract clause that would allow him to join Liverpool have been dismissed.
Alonso is bidding to become the first manager since Jurgen Klopp to wrestle the Bundesliga title out of the clutches of Bayern Munich, who have won the title for 11 seasons in a row.
And who knows, maybe we could be on a collision course with Alonso’s side in the Europa League!
Fan Comments