Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen a 'remarkable story' after Bundesliga triumph and unbeaten run, says Owen Hargreaves
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ByOli Gent
Published 18/04/2024 at 23:02 GMT
TNT Sports' Owen Hargreaves did not have anything bad to say about Bayer Leverkusen's first full season under Xabi Alonso after the Bundesliga champions extended their unbeaten run to 44 games in all competitions with a 1-1 draw against West Ham United that guided them into the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League. Jeremie Frimpong's equaliser cancelled out Michail Antonio's goal in east London.
Xabi Alonso of Bayer 04 Leverkusen gestures during the UEFA Europa League 2023/24 Quarter-Final first leg match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and West Ham United
Image credit: Eurosport
Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen left TNT Sports expert Owen Hargreaves purring after the Bundesliga champions reached the UEFA Europa League semi-finals.
Die Werkself arrived at the London Stadium with a two-goal buffer against West Ham, who fought back to 2-1 on aggregate after Michail Antonio’s header, but Jeremie Frimpong killed the tie off with an equaliser on the night to send Leverkusen safely through.
Alonso’s side clinched a maiden Bundesliga title after 11 straight years of Bayern Munich dominance, creating an unassailable 16-point gap at the summit of the German top division.
Leverkusen are unbeaten in 44 games in all competitions this term, which is a remarkable feat for a coach in his first full season in senior management.
Hargreaves could not help but laud the job that Alonso had done at the Bay Arena after Leverkusen had sealed their spot in the Europa League semi-finals.
“Bayern Munich have won the league 11 years in a row,” Hargreaves said on TNT Sports. “It’s been a proper dominance. Everybody thought that if anybody [else] was going to do it, it would be Dortmund.
“But Xabi has come in and played this beautiful brand of football which has blown everybody away. Bayern haven’t been at their best, but Leverkusen have been a remarkable story."
Hargreaves pinpointed Florian Wirtz as the standout star in a Leverkusen side dripping with young talent, with their huge potentials being realised thanks to Alonso’s management.
“There’s a lot of good players in this side, but there’s probably one superstar in Florian Wirtz,” Hargreaves said. “He’ll probably play for Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Man City. He’s that good.
“The rest of the players he’s improved dramatically. [Alejandro] Grimaldo, they got him on a free transfer. He’s been absolutely unbelievable. Frimpong and [Victor] Boniface have been terrific. I don’t think anybody could have envisioned a manager having this big an impact on one side.
“Offensively with the ball they’re amazing, out of possession, they press the game. If they can go unbeaten and win a treble, that would be one of the most remarkable stories I think any manager has ever done, never mind in [their] first season.”
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