Champions League
Alonso return to Madrid: Bayer’s “final” at Atlético
Is under pressure to succeed with Leverkusen in Madrid: Bayer coach Xabi Alonso. photo
© Federico Gambarini/dpa
At Atlético Madrid, Leverkusen is threatened with the end of the premier class. Only a win helps Coach Alonso’s team. The 40-year-old knows his opponent well. A Bayer star cannot help despite progress.
Upon arrival at the airport in his former adopted home of Madrid, Xabi Alonso first had to sign autographs. However, the Bayer Leverkusen coach hardly has time for nostalgia and return emotions when his team is playing for the winter in the Champions League at Atlético Madrid.
The situation at Bayer 04 is too precarious, the game too important. In the Spanish capital, the native Basque Alonso celebrated some of his greatest triumphs with Atlético’s local rivals Real Madrid, including taking the handle pot for the premier class champion. He is far away from even remotely similar successes in his first major coaching position. In the Bundesliga, Leverkusen is just before the relegation zone, internationally there is a risk of being eliminated.
Everyone in the Rhineland is aware of the importance of the Atlético game. After the 3-0 loss in the last group game against FC Porto – Alonso’s Champions League debut as head coach – the 40-year-old said: “The next game is like a final for us.” He emphasized this again. “You will see the aggressiveness tomorrow,” he announced.
With just three points, Leverkusen are bottom of Group B going into the penultimate matchday. If Bayer 04 lose at the Wanda Metropolitano on October 26 (9 p.m. / DAZN), Bayer 04 would end the group stage bottom of the table. The Werkself would only be able to survive the winter in Europe’s most important club competition if they win – if FC Porto don’t win at FC Bruges, who have already qualified for the round of 16.
Atlético must also score
The problem for Leverkusen is: Atlético can no longer afford to make mistakes. The actual group favorites only have one point more than Bayer 04, losing 2-0 in the first leg in Leverkusen. Coach Diego Simeone’s team is considered an expert in efficient results football. Nobody at Bayer knows that better than Alonso, who, as a Real player, fought thrilling duels with arch-rivals between 2011 and 2014. Even then, Atlético was coached by Argentinian Simeone. “He’s one of the best,” said Alonso, who was questioned at length about the 52-year-old by Spanish journalists at the press conference the day before the game.
In contrast to Bayer 04, the Spaniards should also have plenty of self-confidence. Atlético have taken 13 out of a possible 15 points from the last five league games, eight more than Leverkusen.
The Werkself’s 2-2 win against VfL Wolfsburg on the last match day gave the Rhinelanders at least some encouragement. The result was not enough, Alonso said. However, one can take away some positive aspects from the performance. After being 2-1 down for a while, Bayer showed morale, equalized and was then closer to victory than VfL.
“We finally fought,” said goalkeeper and captain Lukas Hradecky. “I missed that.” Midfielder Robert Andrich said: “The way we really wanted to win is something we can take with us.”
In addition to a winning mentality, Bayer 04 would also benefit from attacking strategist and national player Florian Wirtz in Madrid. However, Alonso will have to do without the 19-year-old when he returns to Spain. Also missing are Kerem Demirbay and Charles Aránguiz. Whether top scorer Patrik Schick can play is still open.
The possible lineups:
Atlético Madrid: Oblak – Savic, Gimenez, Reinildo – Molina, Carrasco – Witsel – de Paul, Kondogbia – Griezmann, Morata
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky – Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba – Frimpong, Andrich, Amiri, Bakker – Diaby, Adli – Schick
Referee: Clément Turpin (France)