German champions Bayer Leverkusen kicked off their Bundesliga title defence with a 3-2 win at Monchengladbach on Friday night, with highly-rated attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz grabbing a brace.
Die Werself dominated the game’s early stages, going two goals up by the 38th minute and hitting the woodwork twice. The Foals levelled the game through goals from Nico Elvedi and new signing Tim Kleindienst in the second half.
However, as was often the case with Bayer last season, they found a late winner, with Wirtz scoring a penalty kick in the 100th minute of the game.
Some will say that the victory was fortuitous, but in truth, Xabi Alonso’s team deserved the win over the whole game. The late goal was a good habit that Bayer got into last season, as they were the team that scored the most goals in the Bundesliga in the last ten minutes in the German top flight.
Bayer are relentless
One facet of their game under Alonso has been that Bayer is relentless in games. They are not just a formidable team going forward but will never accept that they haven’t won.
Alonso has his team well-drilled and in peak physical condition. They will never give up on three points, which was proven once again against Gladbach on the opening day.
This never-say-die attitude helped Leverkusen go unbeaten in the Bundesliga last season and lose just once in all competitions. With Alonso at the helm, this attitude is likely to stay the same.
Kept hold of all their key personnel
It is hard to find any weaknesses in Bayer Leverkusen’s setup. The club’s recruitment of players has been simply outstanding.
The club’s top brass has transformed its fortunes within the space of a few years. It all started with the appointment of head coach Alonso, who is now regarded as one of the most sought-after bosses in the club game.
Reportedly, some high-profile clubs had been interested in employing the Spaniard in the summer. In fact, he is believed to have turned down Premier League Liverpool to remain with Bayer.
Alonso has moulded a special team in Leverkusen. The players know exactly what to do in most situations and are so prepared that playing has become second nature to them.
It doesn’t seem to matter who they play against, either, as they play the same style of football no matter the opponents. Some would say that playing one way is a gamble. However, it is difficult to argue with the results when the style is as effective as Bayer’s.
It is interesting that not only did Alonso stay, but none of their star players left the club, so they have excellent continuity in the team. Alonso staying will likely have played a significant role in the players deciding to remain in Leverkusen.
Strengthened the squad again this summer
Not only have the German champions kept their team from last season, but they have been able to add players that will strengthen the squad.
Bayer brought in highly rated French attacking midfielder Martin Terrier from Rennes for what appears to be a bargain fee of around €20.00m.
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Meanwhile, Leverkusen also signed one of the stars of Girona’s excellent La Liga campaign, Aleix Garcia, for a fee of around €18.00m, which once again looks like a signing offering exceptional value. He captained the Catalan team to Champions League qualification.
These two deals epitomise how Bayer has built a squad capable of winning the Bundesliga. While other clubs splash out fortunes, Leverkusen make clever deals. They do their homework and sign players whose fees don’t really match their ability or potential.
The €15.00m signing of young French centre-back Jeanuel Belocian from Rennes is the perfect example of Leverkusen’s buying potential. He will be bedded into the squad and undoubtedly offer another central defensive option for Alonso during the campaign.
Looking to make a mark at home and abroad
For most, Bayer Leverkusen started the 2024/25 Bundesliga season as favourites to retain the German crown. It is an unusual position for Die Werkself to be in after Bayern Munich has dominated the domestic game for so long.
However, Bayer shook off their derogatory nickname of ‘Neverkusen’ last season with the sensational domestic double of the Bundesliga title and DFB Pokal. Not to mention the 2024/25 Super Cup they won after beating Stuttgart in a penalty shootout.
Their only defeat of last season came in the Europa League final, as Alonso’s team were beaten 3-0 by Atalanta. Despite the defeat, Leverkusen proved last season that they can take on any team and usually come out on top.
Their participation in the new Champions League format this season will be interesting. This will be the true litmus test for the Bayer players and their brilliant young head coach.
They will be competing against the crème-le-crème of European football. However, in reality, there are very few teams that will look forward to facing the German champions in European football’s elite competition.
Bayer Leverkusen fans have suffered for far too long being also-rans in the German game. In their history, they were the team that came close to success until last season.
They can now look forward to their team going up against the best teams Europe has to offer, knowing that their team is truly capable of beating any team on the continent on their day.
Can Bayer Leverkusen maintain their incredible momentum from last season?