With 18 wins and 1 draw so far this season, Alonso led Bayer Leverkusen to reveal the secret of victory
So far, under Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen have 18 wins and one unbeaten win. They dominated both the Premier League and Europe, setting a new record with 64 goals conceded and just 14 goals conceded. "Team Universe" once again brought the glory of "Pharmaceutical Factory" to the fans.
Once again, Xavi Alonso has been on the radar as to whether he can fill the problems that have plagued the club for some time. Alonso retired from his career as a good midfield coach and now he has started his coaching career. This honour has been created by renowned coaches such as Pep Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane over the past 15 years, and Alonso has carried on the tradition.
Although Alonso has excelled in the German league, he does not have much coaching experience. In his first race in Spain, it was like he was on a roller coaster, and in his homeland he started his career in his first season. Before joining Bayer Leverkusen, he was once considered the coach of Borussia Mönchenchen's Grad, but the "pharmaceutical factory" was only acquired. The team were in a very poor position at this time, having already exited the European competition, but under Alonso, they were the most feared points contenders in the second half of the season, and they survived relegation.
Despite losing to Roma in the semi-finals of the Europa League last season, Alonso did not let that stop him from thinking about it. This season, the 'Pharma' has become increasingly obsessed with the pursuit of beautiful football, and Bayer Leverkusen beat Union Berlin 4-0 in a German league game in November, setting a record for goals since taking charge, with 815 shots on goal and 755 shots on goal. This figure is reminiscent of the dream triumvirate of Barcelona, and when Pep Guardiola was at the helm of Manchester City, it was Alonso's world.
This season, "The Pharmaceutical" has adopted a tactic that is close to the cliché 433, which is a tactic that is close to 433. The line-up played a huge role in the battle, with a back three that covered the entire area, wing-backs who were the driving force for the team, and forwards who were able to play multiple attacks. This formation is unguardable and is unique to Leverkusen.
Although Bayer Leverkusen looked like they were "messing around" during the summer transfer, their performance was not affected too much. They poured 12 million euros into Bonifes, Grimaldo, Xhaka, Hoffman. All four of Kicker's stars scored 10 points each, and they were the only team out of 18 to score a perfect score on all four signings. The addition of Boniface has given them a very efficient goalscorer, while the addition of Grimaldo has also given them a good complement to their flanks. Since there are many post-00s youngsters in this team, two veterans of Hoffman and Xhaka bring more experience to the table and more stability.
In the 2001-2002 season, Bayer Leverkusen was just one kick away from winning the title, but then it collapsed. Now they are in a similar situation, with Wirtz set to be the next target of the European giants, while Alonso is also considered the favourite to be the next Real Madrid manager. However, for fans, their priority is to enjoy the glory of the moment. Bayer Leverkusen were one point clear of the rest of the team in the German league and picked up a crucial point in the first round, making the road to the German league title even more confusing.
Alonso said nothing about the title hopes, insisting on keeping his focus on the next races until April. In today's extreme league, the 1 point scored by the "pharmaceutical factory" is already a great "margin for error". Next up are Kosunu, Tapsoba, Bonifes, Terra in the Africa Cup of Nations match, and in this game, there are several key players missing. By January, there will be a watershed moment and at that point, it remains a mystery whether the two teams will be able to continue their strong winnings.