However, this season everything could be changing for Die Werkself. Leverkusen's 3-2 victory over RB Leipzig put Leverkusen in a commanding position at the summit of the Bundesliga. An early goal scored by Xavi Simons put Leipzig one goal up heading into half-time. The match moved into another gear after the interval; Nathan Tella's equalizer was rapidly answered by Loïs Openda who restored Leipzig's lead, only for centre-back Jonathan Tah to score the equalizer seven minutes later. Leverkusen completed the comeback after Piero Hincapié's winning goal in stoppage time.
It's plainly obvious that this season's version is nothing like Bayer Leverkusen teams of the past. While there are several other reasons why such is the case, the largest portion of the credit has to go to Xabi Alonso. Ever since taking over in the dugout in 2022, Alonso has quickly established himself as one of European football's best young coaches. Last season, it was largely thanks to Alonso that the Rhine club climbed from the relegation zone to sixth place at the end of the campaign. Since then, Alonso's tactical prowess has helped Leverkusen take it to a new level. After more than half of the league season, the only points Leverkusen have dropped came in three draws - hence their current seven-point lead.
Alonso's preferred 3-4-3 formation has become something of a calling card, and for good reason. The team's emphasis on possession, a stat in which Leverkusen rank second in the Bundesliga, has yielded major dividends. Of course, it has to be mentioned that possession alone isn't a determinant of wins and losses. With this in mind, Leverkusen are also one of the most productive teams when in possession. Leverkusen top the league in passes in the opponent's half and total number of touches; they're also ranked behind Bayern Munich alone in pass completion rate.
Leverkusen's vast amount of high-quality possession has subsequently led to notable benefits in the final third. Perhaps the key to Leverkusen's success up front has been balance - excluding own goals by opponents, Leverkusen's league-leading 50 goals have been scored by 13 different players with five of them thus far having scored five or more goals. Leverkusen are not only creating high-quality chances as shown by their xG (second in the league), they are doing so with an impressive regularity. After gaining possession, Leverkusen tend to embark on high-speed counterattacks that culminate in the creation of one or more goalscoring chances. It should thus come as no surprise that centre-forward Victor Boniface has attempted more shots on goal than any other Bundesliga player this season.
Adding to this, Leverkusen absolutely crushed it in the off-season transfer window. The signings of Álex Grimaldo, Boniface, Granit Xhaka, and Jonas Hofmann for a combined total of €55 million have proven to be masterstrokes. All four have slotted into the starting 11 seamlessly and probably been the most significant on-field contributors to Leverkusen's success this season. Although Leverkusen aren't expected to make any major moves in this January transfer window, that might not even matter. As things stand, Leverkusen boast a cohesive unit with clearly defined roles and therefore might not want to risk introducing any uncertainty to what is becoming a very special season indeed.
Of course, it can't be overlooked that Leverkusen's success might not last long beyond this season. Several of the club's best players are already garnering attention from larger and wealthier clubs while Alonso has a contract clause which might see him leave the BayArena at the end of the season. That being said, none of this downplays the incredible things that have been happening at Leverkusen this season.
No club other than Bayern has won the Bundesliga since the 2011-12 season. Bayer Leverkusen are now in prime position to change that statistic while also being well-positioned to potentially win the Europa League as well. This season, there hasn't been a team which has drawn attention like Leverkusen have - and deservedly so.
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