Bayer Leverkusen defeated Holstein Kiel 2-0 on Saturday, persevering with their push within the title race. This victory additionally marked a historic achievement for coach Xabi Alonso, who reached a singular Bundesliga milestone that even Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich couldn’t attain.
The Spaniard’s transient tenure at Leverkusen has been marked by spectacular outcomes and information, with the 2024-25 season proving no exception. With this newest win, Xabi Alonso grew to become the primary Bundesliga supervisor to go unbeaten in 28 consecutive away video games.
Final season, Alonso made historical past by main Leverkusen to the first-ever unbeaten Bundesliga title. Though RB Leipzig ended Leverkusen’s unbeaten streak on August 31, 2024, the crew’s exceptional away file stays intact.
Pep Guardiola, who led Bayern Munich to a few consecutive Bundesliga titles, couldn’t match Alonso’s achievement. Regardless of Bayern’s dominance, Guardiola’s facet suffered two losses within the 2013-14 season, 5 in 2014-15, and two in 2015-16, stopping him from going unbeaten.
Alonso’s success isn’t just in regards to the information, although; it’s additionally about his means to rework a membership that has by no means received a Bundesliga title into one in all Europe’s prime groups. At the moment, Leverkusen sits 5 factors behind Bayern within the 2024-25 title race, however Alonso stays centered on securing back-to-back titles.
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Can Xabi Alonso match Guardiola’s legacy in Germany?
At simply 43 years outdated, Alonso is broadly thought to be one of many brightest managerial abilities. Together with his contract at Leverkusen operating till June 2026, the World Cup winner might very effectively surpass Guardiola’s achievements in Germany.
Guardiola received seven trophies throughout his time at Bayern (three Bundesliga titles, two DFB Pokals, one UEFA Tremendous Cup, and one Membership World Cup), making him the second most profitable coach within the membership’s historical past, behind solely Ottmar Hitzfeld (11 titles). Alonso, who received the 2023-24 Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal, and the 2024-25 German Tremendous Cup, already sits as Leverkusen’s most profitable coach, although he’s nonetheless 4 trophies behind Guardiola.
When it comes to Bundesliga matches, Guardiola coached 102 video games, profitable 82, drawing 11, and shedding simply 9, with a median of two.52 factors per sport. Alonso, with 83 matches coached, has received 55, drawn 20, and misplaced 9, averaging 2.23 factors per sport.
Whereas matching Guardiola’s achievements at Bayern shall be a troublesome activity, Alonso nonetheless has over a yr and a half left on his present contract. Given Leverkusen’s robust kind in each the Bundesliga and Champions League, he’ll undoubtedly proceed to push for additional success.
