Xabi Alonso Says Bayern Munich Battle Won’t Decide Bundesliga Title | OneFootball

With Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen side trailing Bundesliga leaders, Bayern Munich by eight points, the Leverkusen Head Coach tried to play down the hype on Friday ahead of an enthralling top-of-the-table clash.

Leverkusen are second on 46 points chasing Bayern who are unbeaten in the league in 2025.

Victory for Bayern would see their lead grow to 11 points with just 12 matches remaining.

But the hosts can cut it to five with victory and Leverkusen have yet to lose to Bayern with Alonso at the helm.

It is not a final

It is a hotly contested clash that will be televised across the world but Alonso tempered expectations by asserting that this was not the Bundesliga title-deciding game.

“It is not a final no, no.

We will look at the standings after the game but it is not a final. Against Bayern we need a near perfect performance to have a chance.”

Bayern’s Individual Quality

Whilst Vincent Kompany has been raising how fixture congestion might affect his side ahead of the contest, Alonso highlighted the threat of Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala, who has just signed a contract extension with Bayern, and said that Leverkusen will have to turn the Bayern tide if they are to get anything from the game:

“This Bayern is really dominant in many, many of the games. In the Bundesliga they have this collective dominance and then this individual quality with Harry Kane, (Jamal) Musiala… top, top players.

Bayern are dominant, at home or away. They are the best opponent you can have in the league. Bayern are in a better position in the standings but we play at home. We will show the necessary energy.”

Tactics

Alonso would not be drawn into revealing anything about his game plans, only highlighting that they are prepared and will be competitive:

“We expect a top game against a top, top team. There is a moment for everything in a game. We have prepared our ideas.

We are competitive and to achieve that we have to be well prepared.”

Whatever the result, Bayer Leverkusen’s club chief executive Fernando Carro recently said that Alonso has “already [done] enough for a statue” but the Head Coach will not be resting on past achievements as he looks to knock Bayern Munich off their Bundesliga perch.

GGFN | Oscar O’Mara