Leverkusen won their first German top-flight title on Sunday
Bayer Leverkusen romped to their first-ever title in the Bundesliga with five games to spare, ending Bayern Munich’s 11-year-long dominance in the league. Here are the 10 reasons behind it:
Unbeaten run
Bayer Leverkusen are the only side in Europe’s top five leagues who are still unbeaten. In 29 games, Die Werkself have won 25 times and drawn four, a record not matched by any side in the German top-flight before, including serial winners Bayern!
Menacing attack
With 74 goals from 29 games, Bayer Leverkusen were one of the most menacing sides in Europe this season, cutting a swathe through everyone on their way, including Bayern, whom they beat 3-0 at home in February.
Stoic defense
Another big reason behind Leverkusen’s historic Bundesliga title is their solid defense, which has leaked only 19 goals in 29 games. By comparison, the next best defensive record in the league is that of RB Leipzig, who have conceded 33!
As Sir Alex Ferguson famously said, “Attack wins you games, defense wins you titles”.
Fighting spirit
There were a few occasions wherein Leverkusen were on the brink of a loss or a draw but scored late on to earn a point. For instance, against RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim, Die Werkself fought back deficits to win the games, including a winner in stoppage time in both, while battling till the end to beat Augsburg 1-0 in the dying seconds.
Squad depth
Although Xabi Alonso stuck to a fixed XI for much of the season, he was able to call upon some excellent substitutes to help change the course of the game. Players such as Patrick Schick, Robert Andrich, Piero Hincapie, and Nathan Tella all made an impact off the bench.
Excellent summer signings
Good signings are always essential to a club’s title fortunes, and Bayer Leverkusen certainly struck gold with the acquisition of players like Victor Boniface, Alejandro Grimaldo, and Granit Xhaka. Grimaldo scored nine goals and made 13 assists in the Bundesliga, with Boniface chipping in with another 11 goals and nine assists. On the other hand, Xhaka proved to be a real leader on the field with his experience and authority, while also pulling the strings effectively in midfield. The Swiss have completed the most passes in Europe.
The resurgence of Florian Wirtz
Florian Wirtz’s career seemed to have derailed following a serious ACL injury in 2022, but he returned to his best under Alonso, scoring 11 goals and making 10 assists in the league.
Effective wingers
Alejandro Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong were the wide players for Leverkusen, and both played a starring role in their title success. We’ve already discussed Grimaldo’s impressive numbers. Talking of Frimpong, the Dutchman contributed eight goals and assists each in the Bundesliga.
A stable project
The signing of Fernando Carro as executive chairman in 2018 and the return of Simon Rolfes as sporting director laid the foundations of their title success.
Xabi Alonso
Is there a bigger reason behind Leverkusen’s title glory than him? Xabi Alonso picked the side up from the mud and led them to their first-ever top-flight title within 18 months! When he took over the helm of the club in November 2022, Leverkusen were second from bottom in the table and battling relegation. Fast forward your calendar to the present and Die Werkself are the Bundesliga champions, dethroning the mighty Bayern after 11 years at the top.
The Spaniard executed the 3-4-1-2 system to perfection while managing to get the best out of his players. With this success, Alonso has established himself as an astute manager, and the best part is, he could still win another two trophies before the end of the season!
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