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With a 40-game unbeaten streak, the historic treble is still on the horizon. Bayer Leverkusen and Xabi Alonso are having a great season.
After Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel conceded a goal in the Bundesliga title race last week, Leverkusen are 13 points clear with seven games in hand and will look to win their first league title against Union Berlin on Saturday. You can go further. They could even become the first club in Bundesliga history to have an undefeated season.
Leverkusen’s 4-0 win against Fortuna Düsseldorf in the German Cup semi-final on Wednesday leaves them 90 minutes from winning another trophy in next month’s final. Alonso’s side will also face West Ham in the Europa League quarter-finals next week.
Here are some of the key milestones in Leverkusen’s unbeaten season so far.
Second match: Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 Leipzig
They opened the season with a comfortable 8-0 victory over Teutonia Ottensen of the fourth division in a cup match, and then showed Leverkusen’s Bundesliga capabilities with goals from Jeremy Frimpong, Jonathan Tah, and Florian Wirths in the first game of the league season. Leipzig dominated Bayern in the German Super Cup and hoped to start the season as title contenders. Instead, it was Leverkusen’s season.
Match 5: Bayern Munich 2-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Exequiel Palacios equalized with a stoppage-time penalty, signaling that Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title challenge could become a reality. The late goal was a highlight for Alonso’s Leverkusen side.
Match 20: Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Borussia Dortmund
After the draw with Bayern, Leverkusen went on to win 14 consecutive games in all competitions, showing they were not an overnight success. Dortmund came close to ending their unbeaten run in December, but Victor Bonifatius equalized with his 13th league goal.
Match 31 Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 Bayern Munich
With this match, Leverkusen went from title contenders to favorites to end Bayern’s streak of winning. Alonso’s men not only defeated Bayern, they also held the champions to a convincing victory, giving them very few shots on goal. Alonso was also tactically superior to Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel, switching from the usual back three to a back four. The victory gave Leverkusen a five-point lead over Bayern, but the gap has only widened since then.
Match 36: Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 Qarabag (5-4 on aggregate)
The team that came closest to extending Leverkusen’s unbeaten record was something of a surprise. Azerbaijani club Qarabag came within minutes of winning both games of the Europa League last-16 clash, as the busy calendar took its toll. However, Leverkusen held on and won both games with goals from Patrik Schick in stoppage time.
Match 39: Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Hoffenheim
Czech striker Schick did it again last week, scoring the winning goal in the closing stages against Hoffenheim. Leverkusen marked the day after announcing that Alonso would remain with the team amid links with Bayern and Liverpool. On the same day, Bayern dropped yet another point and Tuchel admitted he no longer believed his team could win the title.
Match 40: Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 Fortuna Düsseldorf
After Wednesday’s victory, Leverkusen fans will be dreaming of Wirth’s two goals to win the league and cup double and reach the German Cup final. Top scorer Boniface last played for Leverkusen in December before returning from injury.
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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