Winning the club’s first-ever Bundesliga title this season, Bayer Leverkusen have taken huge strides to reach the top of the German top flight.
With the club heading back to the Champions League for next season, all eyes are on whether manager Xabi Alonso and his side can take Leverkusen to that next level.
A Year To Remember After Years Of Near Misses
It really has been a phenomenal campaign for Alonso’s side, as they swept past Germany’s dominant force in Bayern Munich to claim the title. Leverkusen also have the chance to win major European silverware this season and are -250 in the Europa League betting to lift the trophy. The newly-crowned Bundesliga champions are the -125 favorites in the Atalanta vs Leverkusen odds to win their final at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin in the 90 minutes. Given how Alonso’s side have performed over the course of this season, it’s understandable Leverkusen are the favorites, as they face an Atalanta side that have never won a European title.
Leverkusen, who did with the Europa League when it was known as the UEFA Cup back in the 1987/88 season, has ruffled plenty of feathers in Germany this season. Either Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund had been Bundesliga champions of the previous 14 seasons. Bayern was aiming for a 12th consecutive title this year but Leverkusen had different ideas and ended up winning the league convincingly. Undoubtedly, Bayern and Borussia Dortmund will not accept this changing of the guard and will look to come back even stronger next season. Alonso will be fully aware of that and will know his talented side can’t afford to stand still as they get ready for the 2024/25 campaign.
Exciting Times Ahead
With a return to the Champions League next season brings a new challenge and a chance for Leverkusen to test themselves against some of the biggest clubs Europe has to offer. With a team built on a solid defensive foundation, Die Werkself should fancy their chances of progressing far in this elite competition. Leverkusen have caused a stir in the Champions League previously, reaching the 2001/02 final in Glasgow before suffering a 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid at Hampden Park.
Leverkusen’s efforts in that 2001/02 season can inspire the current crop of players to make the most of their opportunity back in the Champions League. Manager Alonso will also have the chance to pit his wits against the other top managers in the European game. The Spaniard had previously been linked with jobs at the likes of Bayern, Manchester United and Liverpool, before committing himself to Leverkusen for next season. Keeping hold of Alonso was essential and this summer the club will look to strengthen the squad even further, in a bid to keep ahead of the competition in Germany and prepare for a Champions League campaign.
It’s certainly exciting times at BayArena and there will be plenty of interest to see what happens in the next chapter for this emerging power of European soccer.
This post was published on May 17, 2024 7:20 pm