Former Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool sensation turned manager Xabi Alonso is working wonders at BayArena with Bayer Leverkusen.
Following a dramatic 1-1 draw against Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen is now the only club in Europe's top five leagues that has not tasted defeat in all competitions this season.
Borussia Dortmund nearly pulled an upset at BayArena on Sunday, December 3, 2023, in a pulsating Bundesliga clash.
Ryerson scored just five minutes into the game to give Borussia Dortmund the lead. After the goal, Dortmund fell back as Bayer Leverkusen mounted intense pressure to find the equaliser.
The first half ended with the away side leading by the lone goal. After a marathon of pressure, Leverkusen finally got the breakthrough in the 79th minute with Victor Boniface netting the equaliser.
The game ended with the two sides sharing spoils with a 1-1 draw. It was a disappointing outcome for Bayer Leverkusen but still a good result for the team who are unbeaten in all competitions this season.
Bayer Leverkusen are top of the Bundesliga with 35 points from 13 games. They have also kept a perfect record in Europa League with five straight wins to garner maximum 15 points, and have scored 65 goals, conceding 18, and raking up 20 wins in all competitions.
Xabi Alonso has been the magical hand behind Bayer Leverkusen's prolific start to the campaign. The former Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool star turned manager joined Bayer Leverkusen last season.
He picked the team from the lower rungs of the Bundesliga table and fought up to finish in a Europa League spot (6th) at the end of the season. He also led them to Europa League semifinal, where they lost 1-0 to Roma.
This season, Alonso has picked from where he stopped, and has turned the team into Bundesliga title contenders.
Alonso adopted an attacking style of play at Bayer Leverkusen, transforming the team into a potent winning machine.
With some hit signings in the summer such as Victor Boniface, Bayer Leverkusen have hit the ground running and are now at par with Bayern Munich on the Bundesliga title race.
With his prolific managerial outing with Leverkusen, the club will now have to wrestle with bigger suitors who are aiming for the services of the Spaniard. Alonso has been linked to several top jobs in Europe. He has been particularly tipped to succeed Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid should the latter exit his role at Santiago Bernabeu at the end of the season.
After the draw against Dortmund, Alonso will hope to return the team to winning ways when they take on Paderbon in DFB Pokal on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 before traveling to take on VFB Stuttgart on Sunday, December 10, 2023.
Xabi Alonso managerial career
Xabi Alonso obtained his UEFA coaching license in 2018 and joined Real Madrid U14 as manager.
In 2019, he joined Real Sociedad B, guiding the team to promotion to the Segunda Division in 2021.
However, under his watch, the team was relegated to the lower division in their first season in Segunda Division, and he left the club the next year.
Bayer Leverkusen is the first top division club he has managed. Alonso joined the Bundesliga outfit in October 2022 signing contract till 2024. He has reportedly extended his deal till 2026 after an impressive outing with the club.
Following a dramatic 1-1 draw against Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen is now the only club in Europe's top five leagues that has not tasted defeat in all competitions this season.
Borussia Dortmund nearly pulled an upset at BayArena on Sunday, December 3, 2023, in a pulsating Bundesliga clash.
Ryerson scored just five minutes into the game to give Borussia Dortmund the lead. After the goal, Dortmund fell back as Bayer Leverkusen mounted intense pressure to find the equaliser.
The first half ended with the away side leading by the lone goal. After a marathon of pressure, Leverkusen finally got the breakthrough in the 79th minute with Victor Boniface netting the equaliser.
The game ended with the two sides sharing spoils with a 1-1 draw. It was a disappointing outcome for Bayer Leverkusen but still a good result for the team who are unbeaten in all competitions this season.
Bayer Leverkusen are top of the Bundesliga with 35 points from 13 games. They have also kept a perfect record in Europa League with five straight wins to garner maximum 15 points, and have scored 65 goals, conceding 18, and raking up 20 wins in all competitions.
Xabi Alonso has been the magical hand behind Bayer Leverkusen's prolific start to the campaign. The former Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool star turned manager joined Bayer Leverkusen last season.
He picked the team from the lower rungs of the Bundesliga table and fought up to finish in a Europa League spot (6th) at the end of the season. He also led them to Europa League semifinal, where they lost 1-0 to Roma.
This season, Alonso has picked from where he stopped, and has turned the team into Bundesliga title contenders.
Alonso adopted an attacking style of play at Bayer Leverkusen, transforming the team into a potent winning machine.
With some hit signings in the summer such as Victor Boniface, Bayer Leverkusen have hit the ground running and are now at par with Bayern Munich on the Bundesliga title race.
With his prolific managerial outing with Leverkusen, the club will now have to wrestle with bigger suitors who are aiming for the services of the Spaniard. Alonso has been linked to several top jobs in Europe. He has been particularly tipped to succeed Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid should the latter exit his role at Santiago Bernabeu at the end of the season.
After the draw against Dortmund, Alonso will hope to return the team to winning ways when they take on Paderbon in DFB Pokal on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 before traveling to take on VFB Stuttgart on Sunday, December 10, 2023.
Xabi Alonso managerial career
Xabi Alonso obtained his UEFA coaching license in 2018 and joined Real Madrid U14 as manager.
In 2019, he joined Real Sociedad B, guiding the team to promotion to the Segunda Division in 2021.
However, under his watch, the team was relegated to the lower division in their first season in Segunda Division, and he left the club the next year.
Bayer Leverkusen is the first top division club he has managed. Alonso joined the Bundesliga outfit in October 2022 signing contract till 2024. He has reportedly extended his deal till 2026 after an impressive outing with the club.
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