Bundesliga
All eyes will be on the BayArena on Saturday as the Bundesliga’s top two face off in a potentially season-defining showdown. Leaders Bayern Munich know victory will stretch their already yawning lead over their nearest rivals to 11 points – a gap which could prove insurmountable with 12 subsequent games remaining. Defending champions Bayer Leverkusen, on the other hand, can reduce the deficit to just five points with a home win.
As Bayern extended their advantage at the top with a 3-0 win over Werder Bremen on Matchday 21, Leverkusen stumbled to a stalemate at Wolfsburg which gives Saturday's clash a must-feel win for the home side.
The game will also see two of the division’s brightest young coaches pit their wits against one another for the third time this campaign – the second in the league. The first clash between Vincent Kompany and Xabi Alonso, on Matchday 5, ended in a share of the spoils as a 1-1 draw played out at the Allianz Arena. Despite the scoreline, Bayern dominated that match, boasting 70 per cent of the ball and taking 18 shots to Leverkusen’s three.
The second occasion fell in the DFB Cup, where Leverkusen edged a fiery affair 1-0 after Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was sent off in the 17th minute of the match. Again, despite the result and a personnel deficit, Bayern enjoyed the lion’s share of the ball and chances.
Watch: Highlights of Bayern 1-1 Leverkusen
Such dominance in terms of possession has become something of a habit under Kompany, who joined in the summer from relegated English Premier League side Burnley. The Belgian has overseen an average of 66 percent possession during his Bundesliga reign so far – more than Pep Guardiola’s ball-hoggers boasted during the Catalan’s glittering time in Bavaria.
It’s one of many eye-catching statistics the 38-year-old has set during his time at the Allianz Arena. His 2.6 points-per-game average is the highest of any coach in Bundesliga history (again surpassing Guardiola’s record, 2.5). Meanwhile, his team have conceded just 109 shots on target in their 21 matches so far; another record, and an indication that Kompany’s just as effective coaching his team from a defensive standpoint.
This has all contributed to Bayern taking 54 points from a possible 63 so far – the fourth-highest tally in Bundesliga history. Interestingly, one of the only three teams to have bettered that return are Leverkusen’s title-winners from last term (55 points by this stage).
Kompany still has a long way to go if he is to mirror Alonso’s first full season as a Bundesliga coach. Last term, the Spaniard won a league and DFB Cup double, losing just once in 53 matches in all competitions – that being the final of the UEFA Europa League which ended their unbeaten season at the final hurdle. That run also saw Leverkusen become the first side in Bundesliga history to go a full league campaign without losing a match (28 wins, six draws).
It’s fair to say that life has been slightly tougher for Leverkusen this time around. Nine points worse off than they were last term, they’ve also scored six fewer (49 compared with 55) and conceded eight more (22) than they did by this stage of 2023/24.
Even so, Alonso – one of just nine men to have won a Meisterschale as both a player and a coach – remains a formidable dugout opponent. The former Bayern, Real Madrid and Liverpool midfielder has lost just eight of his 81 matches (less than 10 percent) since taking charge in October 2022. Only Bayern trio Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and now Kompany have better ratios.
Watch: Highlights of Leverkusen's title-winning 2023/24 campaign
Despite a few wobbles, no team has made more sprints than Leverkusen this season, while they also rank second (behind Bayern on both occasions) for shots and successful passes from open play. They’ve been tremendous, but Bayern have just been that tiny bit better.
Leverkusen are currently unbeaten in 27 consecutive away matches, the second-longest run in Bundesliga history. But, given this weekend’s clash is a home game, will be hoping to banish memories of their Matchday 2 defeat to RB Leipzig with a statement win over another top four side.
"The goal is to win the match," Alonso says. "If this happens, we will be five points away. We are not afraid, we are not nervous. I am really not worried."
During their playing days, these two coaches met on seven occasions at both club and international level. Alonso had the upper hand, ending up on the winning side in five of those encounters and losing just one. He has the upper hand once more as a coach, with one win, one draw and zero defeats so far.
Kompany, who has quietly established himself as a coach capable of matching the oft-celebrated Alonso, will be hoping to redress that balance when his side travel to the BayArena on Saturday.