5 reasons why Leverkusen will beat Brest

Leverkusen have got off to a blistering start in this season's expanded Champions League, beating 1970 winners Feyenoord 4-0 and seven-time European champions AC Milan 1-0 in their opening two games. 

Die Werkself were finalists in 2002, going down to Zinédine Zidane's wondergoal for Real Madrid in Glasgow, but they have long since shaken their unwanted tag of Neverkusen, which crystalised that season after they also lost the Bundesliga and DFB Cup at the final hurdle.

Bayer won their maiden Bundesliga title last season, going undefeated to finish 17 points clear of next best Stuttgart, and also lifted the DFB Cup before losing to Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League final.

Another raid on Europe has started well, and Brest will have their work cut out…

1) World-beater Wirtz

Florian Wirtz picked up an ankle injury playing for Germany over the international break, and is a doubt for Saturday's meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt, but is expected to be back for the trip to Brittany.

Wirtz scored a brace against Feyenoord, two of his six strikes across all competitions this season, and with his assist against RB Leipzig in August thrown in, has had a direct hand in a goal every 106 minutes he has played.

Watch: The best of Florian Wirtz

Still just 21 years of age, Wirtz has already developed into a complete midfielder whose attacking output only paints part of the picture. The Germany international - one of Julian Nagelsmann's most important players as well as Alonso's - has attempted and completed more progressive passes than any attacking midfielder across Europe's top five leagues per UEFA coefficient over the last year, and is in the top two percentiles for shot-creating actions at an average of nearly seven per game.

"There are good players and there are players who look good on the pitch. The player who looks good does things that are nice, but not necessarily efficient," Alonso said of his star pupil last year.

"Why is [Lionel] Messi so good? Because he knows how and when to play simple passes. Messi says: 'You're in a better position? Here, there you have the ball!' It's not always about making the most brilliant move, but the best and smartest. Florian can do that. That's why he's so good."

2) Pure-bred Terrier

If Wirtz doesn't make it on Wednesday, Leverkusen have impressive strength in depth throughout their squad, and particularly in the modern No.10 position that Wirtz now occupies, with Alonso normally lining up with two attacking midfielders behind Victor Boniface, the point of Bayern's attack.

Amine Adli has pulled ahead of Jonas Hofmann in the pecking order this season, despite the latter being, like Wirtz, a full Germany international, but the bulk of the creative attacking burden will now rest on Martin Terrier's shoulders.

The Frenchman arrived from Rennes in the summer, and has settled in quickly at the BayArena, becoming their most-played player in the position after Wirtz and linking play with elusive movements in the final third.

His goal against Hoffenheim on Matchday 3 remains his only strike for his new employers, but he has a happy historical record against Brest, with three goals and an assist from his eight previous meetings with them, turning out for Rennes and Lyon before that. 

3) The deadliest wing-backs in world football

Since Alonso united Álex Grimaldo with Jeremie Frimpong as wing-backs in his 3-4-2-1 formation at the start of last season, the pair have combined for a barely fathomable 29 goals and 41 assists across the 57 games they have played together - not bad for nominal defenders!

Grimpong or Frimaldo as nicknames have yet to attain the status Robbery - Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry - once enjoyed at Bayern Munich, but that their attacking output is comparable to those once world-class wingers is quite incredible.

Watch: Grimaldo and Frimpong: Leverkusen wing (back) wizards

"He's an incredible coach with a lot of passion for what he does. I really wanted to work with him given the player he was," Grimaldo said of Alonso, whose reading of the game is increasingly mirroring his boss'. "And now seeing him as a coach, he inspires every day with his passion and ideas, how he passes them on, and he's taking Leverkusen upwards.

"Jerry [Frimpong] up the wing," continued Grimaldo, turning to his fellow faux-back. "He always delivers good balls back and gives you the chance to score. So, it's much easier."

It promises to be busy day for Brest's full-backs… 

4) Alonso's squad building

And then there's the man who glues it all together. For all the attacking wizardry conjured up from the No.10 spots or out wide in Alonso's system, every player has a part to play in the Leverkusen squad - which is now at least two players deep in every position. 

As well as the aforementioned jostle at No.10, Alonso can call upon Patrik Schick instead of Boniface up top; it seems to be a coin toss who between Aleix García and Exequiel Palacios who partners the talismanic Granit Xhaka in central midfield, and if either wing-back is missing, Piero Hincapié and Nathan Tella can deputise, despite being a centre-back and winger respectively by trade.

"I always say that we need all the players," Alonso said ahead of Bayer's 4-3 win over Wolfsburg on Matchday 4, in which García assisted Hincapié for the second equalising goal. "The squad is good and we have depth... I have full confidence in all the players."

Leverkusen conjure the most shots in the Bundesliga (118 so far this season, five more than Bayern), and boast an 89.2 per cent pass completion, regardless of who is playing. Bayer can put Brest on a roundabout and pummel their goal whomever Alonso picks.

5) History on their side

The weight of history can rest heavily on teams in the Champions League, and it is to Brest's immense credit that they also have two wins from two to sit joint-top of the table with six others, including Leverkusen.

But it remains the case that this is the French side's first foray into European football in their 121-year history. It is Leverkusen's 28th, and they have made three finals, winning the UEFA Cup against Espanyol in 1988 and losing the UEFA Europa League equivalent to Atalanta last season.

They held Toulouse in France before beating them at home in the first of those, and although no French team were encountered last season, they have also previously claimed the scalps of Paris Saint-Germain, Lyon and Monaco, while beating Nice 6-2 in October 2020. 

The Lyon win was picked up on the way to that narrow Champions League final loss to Real Madrid in 2002 - the season the unwanted moniker took hold. But under Alonso, Bayer have gone from Neverkusen to never losin', and it wouldn't be safe to bet against them putting another Gallic feather in their caps on Wednesday.