Xabi Alonso during Bayer Leverkusen's match at Wolfsburg Xabi Alonso during Bayer Leverkusen's match at Wolfsburg Xabi Alonso insisted that Bayer Leverkusen's top-of-the-table clash with Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will not decide where the title will end up this season. (More Football News)
Leverkusen, who won their first Bundesliga crown last term, find themselves eight points behind Vincent Kompany's side heading into Saturday's clash at the BayArena.
Indeed, since the three points for a win era was introduced in the German top-flight, no team has made up a gap of that size after 21 matches and won the title.
Bayer Leverkusen Vs Bayern Munich Preview, Bundesliga Matchday 22: Holders Face LeadersLeverkusen are, however, enjoying a five-game unbeaten run across all competitions against Bayern, winning their most recent meeting in the DFB-Pokal round of 16.
On the other hand, China have qualified for their maiden Asian Champions Trophy final. Their journey to the summit clash has been a rollercoaster ride. They started with a defeat to India but bounced back with a 4-2 win over Malaysia. The hosts then faced a 2-3 loss to South Korea and were also routed 5-1 by Pakistan in the pool stage.
The youngster displayed goalkeeping masterclass in the shoot-out, saving all four of Pakistan’s attempts after the match was drawn 1-1 in regulation time.
The last German club to go longer without losing to the 33-time Bundesliga champions were Hamburg from 2007 to 2009 (six games).
Alonso has masterminded all of those victories, becoming the first head coach in Bundesliga history to go unbeaten in his first five competitive games against Bayern.
"It is not a final no, no," Alonso told a press conference. "We will look at the standings after the game, but it is not a final. Against Bayern, we need a near perfect performance to have a chance.
"This Bayern is really dominant in many,merryph app many of the games. In the Bundesliga they have this collective dominance and then this individual quality with Harry Kane, (Jamal) Musiala... top, top players."
With 46 points from 21 games, this is Leverkusen’s second-best Bundesliga season behind only their title-winning campaign in 2023-24 (55 points), despite starting slowly.
Alonso's side are also coming into the game fresher than their opponents, having not been involved in Champions League action in midweek after finishing inside the top eight of the competition's new 36-team league, thus automatically qualifying for the last 16.
Bayern Munich Eager To Rectify Last Season’s Mistakes, Says Vincent KompanyBayern, meanwhile, came away with a slender advantage in their play-off first leg against Celtic on Wednesday, with Michael Olise and Harry Kane on target in a 2-1 triumph in Glasgow.
Alonso kept his cards close to his chest when questioned about a game plan for this weekend's blockbuster showdown, most notably about whether he would deploy a three or four-man defence.
"We expect a top game against a top, top team. There is a moment for everything in a game. We have prepared our ideas," he said.
"We are competitive and to achieve that we have to be well-prepared. Bayern are dominant, at home or away. They are the best opponents you can have in the league.
"Bayern are in a better position in the standingsepoch game, but we play at home. We will show the necessary energy."