Leverkusen’s Granit Xhaka celebrates with team mates after the German soccer cup match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Fortuna Duesseldorf in Leverkusen, Germany, April 3, 2024. Leverkusen’s Granit Xhaka celebrates with team mates after the German soccer cup match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Fortuna Duesseldorf in Leverkusen, Germany, April 3, 2024.
After Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel conceded in the Bundesliga title race last week, Leverkusen is 13 points ahead with seven games remaining and can take another stride toward its first league trophy on Saturday against Union Berlin. There’s even the prospect of being the first club ever to have an unbeaten season in the Bundesliga.
Wednesday’s 4-0 win against Fortuna Duesseldorf in the German Cup semifinals left Leverkusen 90 minutes away from another trophy in next month’s final. Alonso’s team also faces West Ham in the Europa League quarterfinals next week.The season-opener was a leisurely 8-0 romp past fourth-division Teutonia Ottensen in the cup, before the first game of the league season showed Leverkusen’s Bundesliga credentials with goals from Jeremie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah and Florian Wirtz.
After drawing with Bayern, Leverkusen went on a 14-game winning run in all competitions and showed it was no overnight success. Dortmund came closest to ending the unbeaten streak in December but Victor Boniface’s 13th league goal leveled the score.This was the game that turned Leverkusen from a title contender into the hot favorite to end Bayern’s streak of titles. Alonso’s players, they did it convincingly, barely allowing the champion a shot at goal.