How Xabi Alonso has transformed Bayer Leverkusen

On October the 5th 2022, Xabi Alonso was appointed manager of Bayer Leverkusen, when the club were 17th in the league table. Within 6 months, Alonso secured a spot in Europe as the club finished the 2022-23 season in 6th position, and this season, they find themselves on top of the table after 13 games, flirting with the idea of winning their first Bundesliga title.

Alonso prefers to play a 3-4-2-1 system, where the team is extremely dynamic in possession. Out of it, the midfield 4 clog the centre of the pitch, giving Florian Wirtz on the left and Jonas Hoffman on the right plenty of space to run into when they win the ball back.

Alonso has also made just eight changes to the starting 11 in the 13 games they’ve played, with the same starting lineup in 9 of those games.

The signings this summer have also all worked out pretty well. Granit Xhaka, who plays as part of the double-pivot alongside Exequiel Palacios, and Victor Boniface, who has 8 goals and 5 assists already, have been particularly impressive.

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