THIS EVENING: How Xabi Alonso built a merciless success machine

After a record-breaking first half of the season, Bayer Leverkusen have spent the winter at the top of the Bundesliga table. The Werkself's success is based on the input of head coach Xabi Alonso and a core of top performers. But the acid test is yet to come.

Of course, Xabi Alonso can and should be pleased with his team's strong season so far. Bayer Leverkusen have set a new record in German professional soccer with 25 competitive matches without defeat from the start of a season. The streak has taken the Werkself to the top of the Bundesliga - and yet the 42-year-old head coach has no shortage of words of warning. "If our level drops just a little, we have no chance," said Alonso at a recent media interview.

During the first half of the season, 21 outfield players were used, with 11 of them playing over 1,100 minutes each and the remaining 10 players playing less than 350 minutes each. Alonso relied primarily on a core of top performers who were able to implement his footballing ideas to near perfection. These ideas included a sophisticated style of possession soccer that very few other teams in Europe's top leagues are able to achieve. During his first season at Leverkusen, after Alonso took charge of the ailing Werkself in October 2022 when they were 17th in the Bundesliga, the Basque primarily played a transition-oriented style of soccer. He initially wanted to stabilize the team and collect the points needed to move into the top half of the table.

"We weren't a possession team last year. We were a transition team, we were a counter-attacking team," said Alonso. "That was completely different to this year. To be able to do that, to convince the players of that, that probably made me a better coach. It was my idea to develop our game further." The fact that Leverkusen were able to change their style of play so significantly during the summer break is largely down to the 42-year-old. In addition, a number of new signings made an immediate impact for the Werkself. These include goalscorer Victor Boniface, winger Álex Grimaldo, attacking all-rounder Jonas Hofmann and midfield strategist Granit Xhaka. The latter's style of play is somewhat reminiscent of Alonso and nothing like his time at Borussia Mönchengladbach between 2012 and 2016. In the seven seasons that followed, Xhaka developed into a veritable passer and playmaker.

Systematically gaining space in the build-up play

Xhaka fits perfectly into the new Leverkusen construct and fulfills a role within the squad that has been a weak point in recent years. For a long time, Bayer did not have such an anchor player and leader. Leverkusen's play is generally shaped by the Swiss. For Alonso's players, it's all about moving the ball forward one line at a time along the three lines shown in the diagram and then letting it bounce back. This allows Leverkusen to continuously gain space because their opponents usually drop back a little as soon as the ball passes from Xhaka to Florian Wirtz or Jonas Hofmann, for example. Even after the ball is played back to the back, opponents usually remain in a deep position. This allows Leverkusen to constantly gain space without risking losing possession in the middle third of the pitch.

From a certain point - usually after entering the front third - the game is accelerated and the risk is increased. But even in high positions, his team sometimes tends to take a fairly controlled approach, pinning the opposition in their own penalty area with a continuous passing game. In these situations, Xhaka is also an essential player because he always keeps an overview thanks to his good interplay and knows where the next pass should go before the ball is received. This also allows Leverkusen to retain possession most of the time and reduces the risk of being countered. At 92.8 percent, the Werkself have the highest accuracy with short passes of all 18 Bundesliga teams. According to the statistics portal FBref.com, Leverkusen also play by far the most short passes - an average of 355 per match. Bayern Munich are the second team in this statistic, playing just 276.6.

Creativity in the opposition penalty area

The creative element of Florian Wirtz and the dribbling skills of wingers Álex Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong are increasingly coming to the fore in the high areas of the pitch. Wirtz in particular is crucial for receiving the ball in the spaces between the opponent's midfield and defensive line. However, these special game situations are difficult to train - and Alonso doesn't want to. "Passing quality gives us a lot of control, especially in the first phase with the defenders and midfielders," explained the 42-year-old. "But after that we have to change the tempo. We have to get behind the midfielders. And then other things should happen. The talent has to show itself. And these are things you can't train so much. That's the natural talent of the players."

During his time on the pitch, he himself was more of a methodical and thoughtful player. But even back then, Alonso knew that all his groundwork from midfield could only lead to goals because players like Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, Milan Baros and Robert Lewandowski made the decisive breakthroughs up front. In the first half of the season, it was mainly Wirtz and goalscorer Boniface.

However, the latter will be missing for Leverkusen in the coming weeks due to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations (ACON). Should Nigeria advance to the final knockout rounds with Boniface, the 23-year-old may not return until mid-February. Fortunately for the Werkself, Patrik Schick has made an excellent return to action since the end of November following further injury problems during the first half of the season. In the final match before Christmas against VfL Bochum, the strong Czech scored a hat-trick and thus played a decisive role in the 4:0 victory. Schick would probably still be Leverkusen's regular striker if he hadn't been struggling with countless injuries for so long. That's why Bayer 04 brought in Boniface from Union Saint-Gilloise for 20.5 million euros in the first place.

Absence of regular players an endurance test for Alonso

However, while Schick can follow in the footsteps of his fellow striker, the situation in defense looks somewhat more problematic. This is because regulars Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso) and Odilon Kossounou (Ivory Coast) are also away for a while at the Africa Cup in Kossounou's home country. As a result, only Jonathan Tah remains from the traditional back three. Piero Hincapié, who made 27 appearances in the starting eleven in pre-season but has largely been stuck in the role of a substitute so far this season, should therefore play a more important role for the restart of the Bundesliga. Robert Andrich and Bayern loanee Josip Stanišić will also be options in defense.

But now a phase begins in which Leverkusen may not be able to perform at 100 percent, which Alonso believes is necessary. It will be the first serious test for the Basque coach, which he will have to overcome. So far, Alonso has exuded a great deal of calm and has seemingly instilled his team with a great deal of self-confidence. This gift from the former world-class midfielder will be in even greater demand in the coming weeks.

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Bayer 04 Leverkusen, currently leading the Bundesliga, owe their success to head coach Xabi Alonso and a core of top performers. Xabi Alonso's novel tactics, such as the use of Granit Xhaka as an anchor player, have allowed Leverkusen to maintain a sophisticated style of possession soccer, keeping opponents at bay and maximizing their chances of scoring.

Granit Xhaka's influence on Leverkusen's game is significant, especially during build-up play. By continuously bouncing the ball forward along their three lines and then letting it return, they systematically gain space without losing possession in the middle third of the pitch. In high positions, Xhaka's excellent interplay and vision ensure control, minimizing the risk of being countered.

Source: www.ntv.de