Xabi Alonso insisted that Bayer Leverkusen’s top-of-the-table conflict with Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich won’t determine the place the title will find yourself this season.
Leverkusen, who received their first Bundesliga crown final time period, discover themselves eight factors behind Vincent Kompany’s facet heading into Saturday’s conflict on the BayArena.
Certainly, because the three factors for a win period was launched within the German top-flight, no group has made up a spot of that dimension after 21 matches and received the title.
Leverkusen are, nevertheless, having fun with a five-game unbeaten run throughout all competitions towards Bayern, successful their most up-to-date assembly within the DFB-Pokal spherical of 16.
The final German membership to go longer with out dropping to the 33-time Bundesliga champions had been Hamburg from 2007 to 2009 (six video games).
Alonso has masterminded all of these victories, turning into the primary head coach in Bundesliga historical past to go unbeaten in his first 5 aggressive video games towards Bayern.
“It’s not a last no, no,” Alonso advised a press convention. “We’ll take a look at the standings after the sport, however it isn’t a last. In opposition to Bayern, we’d like a close to good efficiency to have an opportunity.
“This Bayern is basically dominant in lots of, most of the video games. Within the Bundesliga they’ve this collective dominance after which this particular person high quality with Harry Kane, (Jamal) Musiala… high, high gamers.”
With 46 factors from 21 video games, that is Leverkusen’s second-best Bundesliga season behind solely their title-winning marketing campaign in 2023-24 (55 factors), regardless of beginning slowly.
Alonso’s facet are additionally coming into the sport brisker than their opponents, having not been concerned in Champions League motion in midweek after ending inside the highest eight of the competitors’s new 36-team league, thus robotically qualifying for the final 16.
Bayern, in the meantime, got here away with a slender benefit of their play-off first leg towards Celtic on Wednesday, with Michael Olise and Harry Kane on the right track in a 2-1 triumph in Glasgow.
Alonso saved his playing cards near his chest when questioned a few recreation plan for this weekend’s blockbuster showdown, most notably about whether or not he would deploy a 3 or four-man defence.
“We count on a high recreation towards a high, high group. There’s a second for every little thing in a recreation. We’ve ready our concepts,” he mentioned.
“We’re aggressive and to realize that now we have to be well-prepared. Bayern are dominant, at house or away. They’re the very best opponents you possibly can have within the league.
“Bayern are in a greater place within the standings, however we play at house. We’ll present the mandatory vitality.”
