By Byron Goodchild
Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen looks to stay uneaten tomorrow with their toughest test coming up against second place Bayern Munich as he looks to strengthen his chances of getting the Liverpool job.
Leverkusen are the only side that are unbeaten this season which fans say by far has exceeded their expectations.
If Bayern were ever to relinquish their Bundesliga title, it was supposed to be Borussia Dortmund who would loosen that grip.
They had their chance last season but the crushing failure to defeat Mainz at home allowed Bayern to make it 11 titles in a row.
Speaking last season to Simon Rolfes, Bayer Leverkusen’s sporting director, about the characteristics that attracted him to the idea of Alonso, he narrowed in on the importance of this personality trait. “Xabi is also a Basque and they are workers,” he said.
When Alonso was appointed in October of last season, the task was to keep the club in the Bundesliga not win it.
But here we are, beyond the halfway stage, with Leverkusen leading the way.
Bayer Leverkusen are on a club-record 30 game unbeaten streak, just two away from equalling the all-time German professional club record.
With a great run so far Leverkusen are aiming to become the 13th different club to win the competition since it began in 1963-64. They’ve come close before, finishing second place in five different seasons, but this could be their best chance yet.
With Jurgen Klopp announcing his exit from Liverpool at the end of the season it is certain Alonso is eyeing up the Liverpool job.
A win against league favourites and potentially going as far as to win the league would definitely increase his chances of becoming Liverpool’s next manager.
