Xabi Alonso: Bayer Leverkusen manager - Bundesliga Dinner Plate Winner

Zehner

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They should have been 3-1 down so many times. They looked completely toothless going forward and yet they manage the draw. This is the kind of season where just absolutely everything goes your way.
We were tame after the subs which was very strange but before that we had many chances to score. Nübel had an absolute masterclass. Stuttgart would have deserved a win and this probably has been our luckiest game this season besides West Ham but it is not as if we should have been out of range for a lucky punch like this either
 

the_cliff

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Hope they go unbeaten tbh.

Do they get a golden dinner plate if they do ?
 

wr8_utd

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We were tame after the subs which was very strange but before that we had many chances to score. Nübel had an absolute masterclass. Stuttgart would have deserved a win and this probably has been our luckiest game this season besides West Ham but it is not as if we should have been out of range for a lucky punch like this either
Yup, after the two subs you'd have thought you'd kick on and the goal was inevitable but both Wirtz and Boniface were so wasteful with the ball. Even the free kick Stuttgart gave away was so wasteful.
 

Zehner

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Yup, after the two subs you'd have thought you'd kick on and the goal was inevitable but both Wirtz and Boniface were so wasteful with the ball. Even the free kick Stuttgart gave away was so wasteful.
I think Wirtz got into the game better later on, or at least he didn't gave possession away so easily anymore without having any notable moments but Boniface is indeed very wasteful at the moment. He has scored a few important goals after his return but he is definitely a shadow of the striker we saw at the beginning of the season.

In general, we haven't had a really good game since the title winning match. We should win the cup final easily but I'm a bit worried about the Roma match up to be honest.
 

giorno

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He is so clearly destined for Madrid he's already shielded by plot armor
 

Todd

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3 league matches to go, none of them against the heavy hitters
German Cup final against a club struggling in the second tier of German football
One foot in the Europa final. Hard to see them losing the Roma tie from 2-0, and they'll be heavy favorites whether it's Atalanta or Marseille

So, if they do the treble while finishing undefeated, where does that accomplishment rank in the history of club football?
 

Pascal Quiff

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3 league matches to go, none of them against the heavy hitters
German Cup final against a club struggling in the second tier of German football
One foot in the Europa final. Hard to see them losing the Roma tie from 2-0, and they'll be heavy favorites whether it's Atalanta or Marseille

So, if they do the treble while finishing undefeated, where does that accomplishment rank in the history of club football?
Probably top
 

Pascal Quiff

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Absolutely given the resource of Leverkusen.
It's unreal, given where they were when he took over. Imagine if Leicester had done the same, given that they are already the standard bearer for underdog stories in this country!
 

UnrelatedPsuedo

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3 league matches to go, none of them against the heavy hitters
German Cup final against a club struggling in the second tier of German football
One foot in the Europa final. Hard to see them losing the Roma tie from 2-0, and they'll be heavy favorites whether it's Atalanta or Marseille

So, if they do the treble while finishing undefeated, where does that accomplishment rank in the history of club football?
Number 1. Without question. Once in a lifetime stuff to not lose a single game in a season.

Though oddly, one league loss and it’s probably not top 10. Because football fans are weird.
 

mu4c_20le

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It's unreal, given where they were when he took over. Imagine if Leicester had done the same, given that they are already the standard bearer for underdog stories in this country!
They regularly finish 3-6th, they are the Spurs of bundesliga, not some newly promoted Championship club.
 

SilentWitness

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3 league matches to go, none of them against the heavy hitters
German Cup final against a club struggling in the second tier of German football
One foot in the Europa final. Hard to see them losing the Roma tie from 2-0, and they'll be heavy favorites whether it's Atalanta or Marseille

So, if they do the treble while finishing undefeated, where does that accomplishment rank in the history of club football?
Will be the greatest ever season in football and will mean Arsenal fans have a perfect rebuttal to their invincible title.
 

erikcred

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Will be the greatest ever season in football and will mean Arsenal fans have a perfect rebuttal to their invincible title.
If two treble seasons in the PL and a centurion title isn't enough, the Leverkusen season won't come close to a rebuttal for that lot.
 

Maluco

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I would still rate United’s treble as being more impressive. Only 3 losses in the league (albeit with a lot of draws), but in a season where they also needed to beat Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle to win the FA Cup. They then had to get through a CL group with Bayern and Barca before needing to navigate Inter, Juventus and Bayern to win that one.

All of those games were won against real quality in a marathon campaign with the influence of so many academy graduates.

Leverkusen have had an absolutely phenomenal season because of who they are and the style in which they have achieved it, but it can’t be number one for me.
 

SilentWitness

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If two treble seasons in the PL and a centurion title isn't enough, the Leverkusen season won't come close to a rebuttal for that lot.
More the fact that they bleat on about it when it wasn't even an invincible season, at least do it in every competition eh.
 

Cloud7

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3 league matches to go, none of them against the heavy hitters
German Cup final against a club struggling in the second tier of German football
One foot in the Europa final. Hard to see them losing the Roma tie from 2-0, and they'll be heavy favorites whether it's Atalanta or Marseille

So, if they do the treble while finishing undefeated, where does that accomplishment rank in the history of club football?
Regardless of what happens from this point on, I’d still have it in my top 3 club football achievements. To win a league title against Bayern in this era, with a team that no one would have fancied at the start of the season, in the manner that they’ve done it, surpasses much else.

For me the top three are:

1) Leicester’s league title
2) Simeone’s first league title with Atletico
3) Alonso and Leverkusen
 

Ole'sgunnarwin

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Regardless of what happens from this point on, I’d still have it in my top 3 club football achievements. To win a league title against Bayern in this era, with a team that no one would have fancied at the start of the season, in the manner that they’ve done it, surpasses much else.

For me the top three are:

1) Leicester’s league title
2) Simeone’s first league title with Atletico
3) Alonso and Leverkusen
If they go unbeatable I'd actually put them second but not much in it. The Atletico win was incredible. Leicester will always be number 1
 

stefan92

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If they go unbeatable I'd actually put them second but not much in it. The Atletico win was incredible. Leicester will always be number 1
Kaiserslautern winning the Bundesliga 1998 as a newly promoted side is right up there with Leicester
 

horsechoker

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Kaiserslautern winning the Bundesliga 1998 as a newly promoted side is right up there with Leicester
That was a different time, the Berlin wall had only just come down and electricity had only recently been introduced to Germany.
 

Todd

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The big factor that makes it difficult to call, obviously, is the fact that it'd be the Europa League rather than the Champions League.

If it were all else equal and the Champions League instead of the Europa, it'd obviously be the greatest single season in the history of club football. But many will rate it down a bit because it's the Europa League, which isn't entirely unfair in my opinion.

It's also probably fair to say that winning the Bundesliga isn't as impressive as winning the Premier League, but that's not Leverkusen's fault.

In the end I still think our treble is more impressive, given the way we won the CL final and the fact that we won a Premier League that was arguably more impressive than the Bundesliga ever was, and we only lose 3 matches in the league that season.
 

T00lsh3d

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Leicester is a far bigger achievement, not to piss on the BL fans parade….but it is
 

desertegil

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When was the last time a club playing in a top European league went a full season undefeated in all competitions?
 

desertegil

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It’s never happened
Then I think that answer the question of where such an achievement places in the history of club football. It would take the #1 spot regardless of perceived quality of the team before the start of the season.
 

MassVolto

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Only 3 losses in the league (albeit with a lot of draws), but in a season where they also needed to beat Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle to win the FA Cup.
These teams wouldn't even finish in the top4 in Italy that year.
 

ForEverEleven

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Also, aren't they pretty well funded (by Bayer) and aren't they one of the only non 50+1 clubs in the league?
Depends if you call 25 mil in sponsoring money per year 'well funded'. All in all we have probably the 4th highes wage bill in the league, behind Bayern, Dortmund and Leipzig.