Very top of the list: firefighting turned into a championship, Alonso forged the dark horse Le Leverkusen in 13 months, how "black" is it?
Bayer Leverkusen are not only the few teams unbeaten in the top five leagues this season, they are also unbeaten in all competitions. To be exact, the only draw in all Leverkusen's games this season was 2-2 away to Bayern, and the rest were all wins. Can Bayer Leverkusen break the 2001/2002 season of the team's "Sanya King"?
After 12 consecutive wins, Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen ushered in a break from the international break in November with a new team winning streak and equalling the Bundesliga's record for the first 11 games (31 points, 2015/16). Bayer Leverkusen is one of the three teams in the five major leagues that are still unbeaten in the league so far, and Alonso brought Leverkusen's passing + high-pressure football, making the "pharmaceutical factory" a phenomenal team in European football this season.
Bayer Leverkusen fans are already wondering if the team can make up for the 2001/02 Sanya Kings. At least, Bayer Leverkusen do have what it takes to challenge Bayern this season. Bayer Leverkusen's pass-and-possession football is distinctive, with the essence of Pep Guardiola and the shadow of Carlo Ancelotti. Bayern were on the verge of being sacked by Borussia Dortmund last season, but Alonso's challenge looks stronger this season. Among the dark horses of the five major leagues, only Bayer Leverkusen has the most dark championship appearance.
Alonso has been at Bayer Leverkusen for 13 months, and last season he was only a firefighter, only entering the game with the bad cards left by his predecessor. This season, after the strong reinforcement of the team in the summer, Bayer Leverkusen continued last season's strong rebound, and even burst out of the championship team energy. Among the dark horses of the five major leagues this season, Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League is known for its high-level layout, Girona in La Liga is wide open and heavy on attacking and light on defense, Nice in Ligue 1 is weak in defense, and Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga has achieved a better balance between passing and counter-attacking.
While Bayer Leverkusen, like other dark horse teams, emphasises high pressing, Alonso is more focused on possession, and in doing so, has created a variety of attacking options. High pressing, built on high possession, as well as the forward penetration of the defenders and the pressing of the midfield, were key to Bayer Leverkusen's perfect start. Xhaka, Grimaldo, Bonifes, and Hofmann introduced by Xia Shi have all become the absolute mainstay, Xhaka is the brain of Leverkusen, and Grimaldo is the offensive and defensive all-rounder who opens up the left side. The Spanish international has handed over an astonishing stat of 8 goals and 6 assists, and is an invincible weapon in the attacking end of the pitch for Bayer Leverkusen.
Nigerian center forward Bonifaces, who is the fulcrum of the attack, was hit by Alonso after playing Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League last season. At 1.90 metres, Boniface is not only capable of confrontation, but also has very good speed and technique, filling the void of a lack of tactical fulcrum in the Bayer Leverkusen penalty area last season. Although the statistics of 7 goals and 5 assists so far this season are not comparable to Kane, he is definitely worth the cost of the 20.5 million euro transfer fee in Bayer Leverkusen, which emphasizes more attacking diversity. The 22-year-old is now worth 40 million euros, 3.3 times as many as he did when he joined this summer, which is the best proof of his performance in the Bundesliga.
Teenager Wirtz was shortlisted for the European Golden Boy Award, forming an attacking second echelon behind veteran Hoffman Bonifaces. He can interact with the assist-heavy wing-backs, provide ammunition support for Boniface, and score on his own. Wirtz, who is already worth 85 million euros, has six goals and 10 assists in 17 games in all competitions this season, and his efficiency of almost one goal per game is also impressive. The trio of Wirtz, Hoffman and Boniface is different from the attacking trident of other teams, the first two stand more on the inside, which is more dangerous to the ribs, and it is easier to reduce the pressure on Boniface to be defended by opponents.
Bayer Leverkusen scored 34 goals in the first 11 rounds of the Bundesliga, and only fewer goals than Bayern Munich (42) among the top five league teams, averaging more than three goals per game. The 34 goals came from 11 players, but they were actually concentrated in five players: Bonifes, Wirtz, Hoffmann, Frimpong and Grimaldo. The first three are an attacking trio, while the second two are assist-wing wing-backs. Bayer Leverkusen's 3241 formation ensures a numerical advantage in central midfield for most of the time, allowing the team to counter-attack and reorganize the attack as soon as they lose possession.
Bayer Leverkusen have started well, winning 10 and drawing one in the first 11 rounds of the Bundesliga, with the only draw coming to Bayern Munich 2-2. There are six teams in the top half of the table, and the only real threat to Bayer Leverkusen is RB Leipzig. Whether the "pharmaceutical factory" can be blacked out to the end, the devil's schedule in December is the key. Bayer Leverkusen will have to play against three top-seven teams in Borussia Dortmund, Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt to maintain their winning streak before they can realistically consider the title race. In January and February, the team will also play RB Leipzig away to Bayern Munich, especially as the latter is likely to decide the Bundesliga title this season. In April's sprint, Bayer Leverkusen will have to go through the same devilish schedule as in December, which will be the real ultimate test.
Another huge obstacle that will stand in the way of Bayer Leverkusen's success is the Africa Cup of Nations early next year. Centre-backs Tasoba and Kusunu, centre-forward Boniface and winger Tyra are all leaving, meaning the team is missing three absolute players at both ends of the pitch. The Africa Cup of Nations season coincided with the start of the second half of the Bundesliga, and although Bayern were missing Mazraoui, Choupo-Moting and Kim Min-jae early next year, the bench depth was much thicker than that of Bayer Leverkusen.
Injuries have also begun to take their toll on Leverkusen's squad. With centre-back Tasoba, right-back Frimpong, Artur, Mensah and Czech centre-forward Schick all injured, Tasoba could return this weekend, while Frimpong is expected to recover from an injury in the Dutch national team and when he will recover. Artur is set to recuperate for three months, while Czech centre-forward Schick returned to injury just after eight months of serious injury, making Alonso's hopes of playing a leading role in the Africa Cup of Nations even slimmer.
How to make good use of Bayer Leverkusen's substitutes is the key to whether Alonso can lead the team to realize his dream. Bayer Leverkusen's squad was thinner than expected, with only Grimaldo on the left flank and three of the four on the right, leaving only Croatia's Staniski. The main framework of the central midfield is more solid, and it is difficult for the substitutes to get enough time to prove themselves. Only eight substitutes were used in five tactical positions, with only two of them playing more than 60 minutes. Will the substitutes be up for the job if injury or suspension are in jeopardy? Alonso tried Plan B in the Europa League, with Croatian defender Staniski, Ecuadorian defender Hincapoe, Nigerian winger Tera and Albanian striker Adli all given plenty of time to prepare for the second half of the campaign.
For Alonso, perhaps the beginning of next year will be the real test. Whether Leverkusen, a dark horse, can continue to be black, is decisive not only for the main force, but also for the substitute team.