Xabi Alonso praises his 'great' Bayer Leverkusen team after Bayern Munich win | OneFootball

Highlights

Xabi Alonso praised his Bayer Leverkusen side after they went five points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, following their 3-0 win against Bayern Munich. Goals from Josip Stanisic, Alejandro Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong were enough to sink the ship of Thomas Tuchel and Co., with the result taking Leverkusen's unbeaten run in the German league to 21 games.

Stanisic opened proceedings after being left unmarked at the back post. A brilliant cross from Robert Andrich caught the visitors off guard and the Croatia international was on hand to send Leverkusen’s first goal of the affair home.

Grimaldo, five minutes after half-time, doubled the host’s cushion after a combination with Nathan Tella opened up the Bayern defence, leaving the former one-on-one with Manuel Neuer. He dispatched his effort, sending the home support into jubilation.

It was Frimpong who put the affair to bed as – in the 95th minute – Alonso’s side countered a Bayern corner into a game-winning opportunity for themselves. The Dutch defender, with a barrage of opposition surrounding him, tucked home their third of the night to see them extend their lead at the summit of the Bundesliga table to five points.

Alonso praises his Bayer Leverkusen players

'The whole performance was great'

On a night where his side outplayed the biggest club in the country, the Liverpool-linked boss had nothing but praise for his players. In fact, Tuchel’s men were restricted to just one shot on target all game, which came in the form of a distance shot from Noussair Mazraoui in the first half.

Alonso couldn’t help but wax lyrical about the ‘great job’ his roster managed and highlighted their ‘discipline’ and ‘compactness’ as two key areas of strength during their promising 3-0 triumph. Ensuring to remain humble, he dedicated their win to the players, insisting that they believe in his philosophy – one that has seen them go unbeaten so far in 2023/24, winning 27 of their 31 games in all competitions, all while scoring 93 goals in that sequence.

Referencing his side’s chances of lifting their very first Bundesliga crown, Alonso remained coy and suggested that they should revisit the subject in May, when the eventual winners will then be given their plaudits: "We'll talk in May. We have to be realistic and keep our feet on the ground."

His superb body of work at the BayArena has piqued the interest of Liverpool given that long-term boss Jurgen Klopp recently announced that he will be leaving the club at the end of this season after years of impeccable service. Whether he will take up the job of huge stature remains to be seen, but he has proven he has all the tools to replace someone such as Klopp – a former manager in Germany’s top tier with Borussia Dortmund.

Alonso goes viral for touching gesture

The former Bayern midfielder proved his lovable nature

All while those associated with the club were basking in the fact they had just dismantled a well-drilled Bayern Munich outfit, Alonso had another trick up his sleeve, which proved not only is he a great manager, but a very decent human being. In the wake of their win, the Leverkusen – nicknamed ‘Werkself’ - players were already seen in front of the goal applauding the raucous home support in the BayArena.

Alonso, who began to make his way over to show his appreciation too, ushered the entirety of his backroom staff to join him. A video of him, alongside his staff, running over to thank the support has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter) – and rightfully so, what a moment for the fans, players and staff alike.

Next up for the side at the top of the table is an away visit to FC Heidenheim before they host Mainz the following weekend. Leverkusen can't afford any slip ups as they approach the business end of the season, but given their unbeaten record so far, Alonso's side will be full of confidence. Especially after their monumental win against Bayern.