Bundesliga: Bayern Munich’s Unstoppable March Continues Despite Alonso’s Tactical Twist
In a highly anticipated Bundesliga clash, Xabi Alonso’s tactical gamble failed to ignite any semblance of excitement in the title race. Bayern Munich emerged from their 0-0 draw at defending champions Bayer Leverkusen seemingly unscathed, maintaining their relentless march towards a record-extending 34th league title.
With 22 matchdays played, Vincent Kompany’s Bayern remain eight points clear of Leverkusen, who have now failed to win in two consecutive games. No team has ever surrendered such a significant lead at this stage of the Bundesliga campaign.
Alonso, in his sixth encounter as manager against his former club, remained unbeaten but his pre-match maneuver to leave star strikers Patrik Schick and Victor Boniface on the bench did little to inspire his otherwise dominant team. Schick made a late cameo in injury time, but despite numerous opportunities, Leverkusen couldn’t find a breakthrough. Florian Wirtz squandered a golden chance in the dying seconds.
Playing in front of 30,210 spectators in the sold-out BayArena, including former Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel, the home side controlled the game but couldn’t make their supremacy count. Bayern, on the other hand, failed to register a single shot on target throughout the match.
Kompany, overseeing his inaugural Bundesliga season, appears unfazed by the lopsided scoreline. The Belgian is on the brink of delivering the Bavarian giants their first German championship since his arrival as coach.
The highly anticipated duel between Schick (14 league goals) and Bayern’s prolific scorer Harry Kane (21) never materialized, but there was another captivating battle between two of Germany’s finest: Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz and Munich’s Jamal Musiala, who had just extended his contract until 2030 on the eve of the game. Alonso had devised a special plan for the gifted Bayern midfielder.
Center-back Jonathan Tah ventured far out of Bayer’s back four to disrupt Musiala’s play, often tackling him aggressively before he could even receive the ball near the Bayern penalty area. Despite Tah’s tactics, which at times bordered on roughhousing, he escaped any disciplinary action.
Perhaps rattled by the intense pressure applied to Musiala, Wirtz emerged as the standout performer in the opening stages, showcasing his exceptional passing range. Leverkusen had the first golden opportunity after 20 minutes when Jeremie Frimpong headed against the crossbar following Wirtz’s shot from a tight angle that had only found Manuel Neuer in the Bayern goal. Nathan Tella hit the woodwork four minutes later, bringing Leverkusen even closer to the lead.
Bayern, however, held firm, relying on a combination of luck and defensive resilience to survive the barrage of attacks. Offensively, the record-breaking champions were typically uninventive, understandably lacking the urgency to win given their comfortable position in the table. They failed to register a single shot on target in the entire first half.
The one-sided onslaught continued after the break, with Kompany’s quadruple substitution around the 70-minute mark failing to provide any relief. At that point, Leverkusen had already racked up 11 shots to Bayern’s zero. However, the Bayern defense remained steadfast, patiently absorbing the pressure and waiting for Leverkusen’s bench to offer some respite.
Alonso had faced criticism for his rotation policy after the goalless draw at VfL Wolfsburg the previous week, where Wirtz was benched until midway through the second half.
