Xabi Alonso could not hide his joy as Bayer Leverkusen beat Bayern Munich 3-0 to go five points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.Alonso has taken the Bundesliga by storm since being appointed as Leverkusen manager in October 2022. His biggest success came on Saturday when he beat the perennial German champions thanks to goals from Josup Stanisic, Alex Grimaldo and Jeremy Frimpong.
They are unbeaten in all competitions for 31 matches but are in full control of their own destiny as they bid for their first Bundesliga title, five points ahead of Bayern Munich.After the match, the Leverkusen players walked around the stadium and thanked the BayArena supporters.
That was before goalkeeper Lukas Hradecki headed home Alonso to the delight of the home fans.To the delight of the crowd, Alonso agreed, but only after inviting the backroom staff to join in the festivities. Soon they all made their way to enthusiastic supporters. Alonso’s loyal relationship with Leverkusen was on display as the manager and players stood shoulder to shoulder and fans behind the goal celebrated the three points that could decide the race for the Bundesliga champions.
This friendly sight is what Liverpool fans have become accustomed to during Klopp’s reign at Anfield. Klopp has made sure his players admire Anfield and especially the Kop after every home game.After the match, Bayern forward Thomas Müller praised the character of Alonso’s side: “What we lack is courage and freedom of play. Leverkusen played their football by taking risks and looking for solutions. We play from A to B and from B to C and no one plays free and takes no chances.”
