In addition to the high playing culture of Xabi Alonso’s team, the works club is also top in two areas that are not primarily related to the art of soccer
There are many reasons for Leverkusen’s success this season. One of the most important is their defensive stability. Bayer 04 have only conceded more than one goal five times this season. Or vice versa: scoring against Leverkusen is anything but easy. Which is why coach Xabi Alonso’s team are still unbeaten in the league after the 30th matchday.
The chance to become the first Bundesliga team to go down in league history as the “Invincibles” is therefore a given. Two factors play a significant role in Leverkusen’s defensive success. And both document the discipline and attention with which the Bayer professionals are doing their job this season.
After 30 matchdays, Xabi Alonso’s team not only has a clean sheet in the defeats category. The Werkself have also not conceded a single penalty this season. This means that Bayer have not conceded the most controlled top-class goalscoring opportunity to their opponents
Leverkusen’s penalty area is a penalty-free zone
Only eleven Bundesliga teams have managed to get through an entire season without conceding a penalty. The last time was Borussia Mönchengladbach in the 2011/12 season. The fact that Leverkusen’s penalty area is a penalty-free zone speaks volumes for the concentrated defensive work in front of goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky. It’s not for nothing that Bayer 04 has by far the best defense in the league with only 20 goals conceded
So it’s not easy to score goals against Leverkusen. And Bayer are not doing their opponents any favors with their own sending-offs either. Here, too, the German champions kept a clean sheet. Of Leverkusen’s 17 rivals this season, only RB Leipzig have managed that
Will the age-old record be broken?
No penalties and no sending-offs – Leverkusen are not making it easy for their opponents. However, this combination of positive clean sheets, should it still stand at the end of the season, would set an age-old record. Borussia Mönchengladbach last managed to go through a season without conceding a penalty or being sent off.
However, this record dates back to the 1969/70 season and is therefore 54 years old. What’s more, sending offs were much rarer back then. Which would make Leverkusen’s record even more remarkable