Bayer Leverkusen head to north London for our first home friendly of the 2024/25 campaign on Wednesday, fresh off a campaign that saw them win a domestic double and reach the final of the Europa League.
Their exploits last season caught the eye of many, including Adrian Clarke who has pulled together the perfect guide to our opponents. Ahead of our clash, see what we can expect from Xabi Alonso's Invincibles:
Tactics
Alonso’s remarkable 2023/24 season was built around a fluid, interchangeable 3-4-2-1 formation. It’s a shape that expands to 3-4-3 when the German champions want to make the pitch feel stretched, or it can just as easily contract into a 5-4-1 that is difficult to break down.
Leverkusen have pace down the flanks, excellent technicians in central areas and a forward line that features plenty of positional rotation. However, their chief tactic is to dominate the ball inside opposition territory, and because they were so well-coached and disciplined, this approach helped them control almost every match they played last season.
Style of play
Leverkusen mastered both sides of their game during a momentous campaign that saw them lose just once in all competitions. Off the ball they are vociferous pressers, with Alonso determined that his well-drilled team to regain possession in advanced areas as often as possible. In last season’s Europa League for example, no one produced more high turnovers (113), shot-ending high turnovers (23) or goals from high turnovers (6).
Averaging 62.1% of possession in the Bundesliga, a division high, they were also immaculate with the ball at their feet. Playing out from the back with confidence, slicing through the thirds with clever rotation and one or two-touch passing, their build-up play was seriously impressive.
Team Strengths
Leverkusen showed they can score a wide variety of goals during their title-winning triumph. Alonso’s men registered 17 set-piece strikes (a joint league high) as well as nine goals from counter-attacks, despite being a possession-heavy side who also proved to be consistently excellent at breaking down stubborn defences.
Leverkusen are also stingy at the back, conceding a meagre 24 goals in 34 league games last season. Keeping rival teams at arm’s length, just 15 of those came in open play.
Individually the visitors also have star performers all over the field. Both wing backs, Jeremie Frimpong and Alex Grimaldo, catch the eye, supplying a combined 19 goals and 20 assists between them last term.
Attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz is a key performer who showed flashes of his brilliance for Germany at Euro 2024, and up front pacy Nigerian striker Victor Boniface always carries a major threat.
Weaknesses
It is hard to pick out flaws in a side that enjoyed a stunning 51-game unbeaten run, but one possible chink in Leverkusen’s armoury is the use of a high defensive line. Their desire to press high and suffocate opponents does on occasion leave them exposed to quick turnovers, especially against sides with quick players up front.
In this friendly clash, the Gunners may look to punish this risky ploy by beating the offside trap with runners from deep.
Key Man: Granit Xhaka
Our former central midfield star needs no introduction, and just 13 months on from his departure Xhaka returns as one of the world’s most in-form engine room players.
When Leverkusen have possession, the Swiss general is the fulcrum of their side, dictating play with his technical quality. No one made more passes than Xhaka in last season’s Bundesliga and a league-high 708 of those passes were made in a forward direction.
Xhaka sets the tempo, uses his experience wisely, and naturally makes Alonso’s free-flowing side tick with his calmness and progressive distribution. Playing better than ever, the 31-year-old ex-Gunner will no doubt be eager to remind us of his qualities as we fondly welcome him back to north London.
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