The improvers: VfB against Bayer also the coaches' top match

Bundesliga - The improvers: VfB against Bayer also the coaches' top match

The fans in the stands of the Stuttgart Arena will mainly be looking at the collection of highly talented footballers on the pitch. Because there will be plenty of them in the top match of the 13th Bundesliga matchday between VfB Stuttgart and Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday (3.30 pm/DAZN).

But above all, the encounter between the third-placed team and the leaders is also the clash between the two new coaches this season: Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso, who has turned the mostly talented but often sluggish Bayer team into a title contender since joining in October 2022. And Stuttgart's Sebastian Hoeneß, who has turned the team that was almost relegated in the previous season into a top team.

Not many would have believed the nephew of Bayern patriarch Uli Hoeneß capable of this after his first coaching stint at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, who parted ways with Hoeneß in the summer of 2022. However, the 41-year-old, who has only played lower league football himself, managed to bring the players along with him with a mixture of professional expertise, but also a good approach and social skills.

Hoeneß relies on trust

"One thing is simply important to me, that is communication, the leadership of the team," Hoeneß explained recently. "I believe there is a lot of potential there." The team around top scorer Serhou Guirassy and his strike partner Deniz Undav are following him on his path. Even players sitting on the bench are not criticizing him.

Hoeneß has also given VfB a style of possession soccer and intensive pressing that puts opponents under enormous pressure. This was evident on Wednesday in the 2-0 win in the DFB Cup, when Borussia Dortmund barely had time for an orderly build-up play.

And when Stuttgart do have the ball, they quickly get in front of the opposition goal with quick combinations via the technically gifted Chris Führich and Enzo Millot or the six-man Angelo Stiller, who was brought in from Hoffenheim by Hoeneß.

The professionals also feel the confidence Hoeneß has in them. He has even urged winger Führich to consciously take risks. He has encouraged him to "try things. And then sometimes two balls go into the upper tier and then he should also take the third and not give up," said the coach to the 25-year-old. In this way, VfB was able to compensate for the loss of several key players during the summer break.

After this rapid development, it comes as no surprise that dad Dieter Hoeneß, once a national striker, recently said that his son has "all the prerequisites" to coach a Champions League club one day. And that record champions FC Bayern, whose second team Filius Sebastian led to the third division title in 2020, are reportedly keeping a close eye on the Munich-born player's development.

Alonso: an improver with discipline

Like Hoeneß for the Swabians, Xabi Alonso, who is a year older, is also a stroke of luck for Bayer. The former world-class player, who played for Bayern for three years, is also an improver as a coach. The 42-year-old has sparked euphoria at the Europa League eighth-finalists with his encouragement, detailed work and great expertise.

The former world and European champion has virtually kissed awake the team around goal scorer Victor Boniface and super-technician Florian Wirtz, who has not been beaten in any competitive matches this season. He also exemplifies his discipline. The Spaniard has steadfastly improved his German language skills and thus also his relationship with the team. "He is brutally honest with us. The coach makes sure that we get everything right," explained midfielder Granit Xhaka, who plays a central role in Alonso's approach.

The Leverkusen fans love their coach from the Basque country. And his work is also appreciated by the club management. The contract, which originally ran until 2024, was extended until 2026. And sporting director Simon Rolfes is certain that the coveted coach will remain in Leverkusen beyond the current season, even though Alonso is repeatedly being touted as the new coach of Real Madrid next summer.

If the two coaches continue like this with their teams, they could meet in the DFB Cup as well as the Bundesliga. Both clubs are in the quarter-finals there. A final match between VfB Stuttgart and Bayer Leverkusen in Berlin would have its charm.