What Bayer Leverkusen rivals have said about Xabi Alonso speaks volumes amid Liverpool links
How Bayer Leverkusen rivals speak of Xabi Alonso and his team says everything that is needed to be known about whether he would be a good fit at Liverpool. In January, following Jurgen Klopp's shock exit announcement, Alonso very quickly emerged as the favourite to replace the long-serving Liverpool boss.
In October 2022, Alonso took charge of a struggling Leverkusen that were in the relegation zone following a 4-0 defeat to Bayern Munich. And now 16 months later they sit five points clear at the top of the Bundesliga after beating the German champions 3-0 to extend their unbeaten streak to 31 competitive games.
Ahead of the game, Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel spoke about Leverkusen's stunning unbeaten run but appeared to play it down. "Thirty teams tried to beat them, none managed to do that. We'll see tomorrow," Tuchel said. "This streak is of course extraordinary, but we only have two points less."
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In response to that comment, Alonso proved his tactical superiority over Tuchel with long-serving Bayern star Thomas Muller offering a clear verdict on the game. "What we're missing is the guts and some freedom to play," he admitted on Saturday. "Leverkusen were taking risks, looking for solutions and playing football. We're playing from A to B, B to C, and nobody plays freely or takes risks."
Glowing verdicts for Leverkusen and thus Alonso don't stop there however, with RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose praising the work of Alonso. "His development as a coach has been fantastic," he said of Alonso in January ahead of a clash between the two teams
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