Vincent Kompany vs. Xabi Alonso tactical battle set for fifth round
After Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen outmanoeuvred Bayern Munich for the 2023/24 Bundesliga title, there was always a feeling the empire would strike back under Vincent Kompany this season. But few would’ve expected we’d get five episodes of what’s turning into an epic tactical battle between the two coaches.
“All three games had different stories,” Kompany said ahead of the first leg of Bayern and Leverkusen’s UEFA Champions League last-16 tie. The same was true again in the fourth meeting between the Bundesliga’s top two, as the Bavarians finally got the better of the Werkself for the first time since Alonso took over in October 2023.
How has the tactical battle unfolded between these sides as we gear up for a fifth and final encounter of 2024/25? bundesliga.com breaks it all down for you…
Follow the last-16 second leg HERE!
High-octane action
The previous campaign marked a watershed moment in German football as Leverkusen ended Bayern’s 11-year reign as champions, with Alonso creating a team that was attacking in nature and famous mostly for its never-say-die attitude on their way to becoming the Bundesliga’s first Invincibles.
It took an added-time penalty from Exequiel Palacios to earn the Werkself a 2-2 draw in Munich earlier in the campaign. It was a high-octane encounter with 15 shots to 13 in favour of the hosts, but a marker by Leverkusen in their developing 4-2-3-1 system under Alonso at the start of his first full season in charge.
Watch: Bayern 2-2 Leverkusen - highlights from 2023/24
Spring a surprise
That first meeting saw Alonso go with what started as his customary XI, with Alejandro Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong as attacking wing-backs, Granit Xhaka anchoring the midfield behind the duo of Florian Wirtz and Jonas Hofmann supporting lone striker Victor Boniface.
By the time the sides met again at the BayArena the following February, Alonso had further developed his team and sprung a selection surprise. There was no Frimpong or a recognised striker, with the Bayer boss instead opting for the fluid front trio of Wirtz, Amine Adli and Nathan Tella.
Then-Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel attempted to match up with a 3-4-2-1 formation as well, going man to man across the pitch, but the Werkself were able to win the numbers game. Possession in the Hinrunde meeting had been almost 50-50. This time Alonso allowed Bayern to have the ball (62 percent) and draw them in before pouncing.
Leverkusen executed their plan to the letter. They restricted Bayern to a single shot on target and their lowest xG (0.27) since the stat was introduced, while striking with ruthless efficiency when the moments presented themselves. A 3-0 win took them to the cusp of a first Bundesliga title and left Munich heads being scratched.
Watch: Leverkusen 3-0 Bayern - highlights from 2023/24
Want more Bundesliga Action?
Back to basics
Bayern hit the rest button for the new season with the appointment of Kompany, who brought back dominant, front-foot, attacking play. They made a flying start to the campaign, winning their opening four Bundesliga matches by an aggregate score of 16-3.
Leverkusen, meanwhile, had made a decent start to their title defence, winning three of their first four games, but they had showed some defensive susceptibility, conceding nine times while scoring 13 themselves. They also suffered their first domestic loss in over a year with a 3-2 defeat at home to RB Leipzig on Matchday 2.
Alonso recognised that his side could not be so open for their visit to Munich and went back to basics in an approach somewhat reminiscent of his early days in charge when his primary focus was on shoring things up and building from a solid foundation.
The Spaniard went with his now customary 3-4-2-1 formation with Boniface as the spearhead in front of Wirtz and Martin Terrier, but it was the team’s defensive display that proved decisive.
Watch: Bayern 1-1 Leverkusen - Matchday 5 highlights
A deeper look at the Matchday 5 draw
“We know it’s not enough when you conceded three goals every week,” Xhaka said of his side’s compact and resolute performance against a Bayern team in great goalscoring form.
As for the Bavarians, they went out with the intention of attacking hard and spent the first half almost camped in the Leverkusen half. They had 67 percent possession and 18 shots to the visitors’ three, but clear-cut chances were actually almost impossible to come by. Harry Kane, for example, ended a Bundesliga game without a single attempt on goal for the first time.
Bayern were allowed to play the way we’ve seen them do for most of the season under Kompany. They were simply unable to undo a Leverkusen side intent on frustrating them.
“We were clearly the better team and had to win this game,” said Bayern captain Manuel Neuer afterwards. Robert Andrich responded: “Not allowing many chances in Munich is an achievement.”
In the end, it was two long-range efforts from Andrich after a corner and then Aleksandar Pavlović’s swift response that ensured the points were shared. All square in Kompany and Alonso’s first tight tactical battle, where the xG count finished at 1.23-0.15.
A decisive red card?
The Bundesliga’s top two were paired together in the DFB Cup in December for a game many viewed as worthy of being the final. Instead, it came as early as the round of 16.
In terms of tactics, there were no surprises from Kompany in that he went with his usual formation, except that he had to deal with an injury to Kane, meaning Jamal Musiala operated as the nominal striker ahead of Michael Olise.
Alonso went with one of his newer tactical approaches by fielding a back four, with Frimpong and Grimaldo acting as out-and-out wingers to support Wirtz as the false nine, plus a flooded centre with Xhaka, Andrich and Palacios in midfield.
Soccer positions and formations explained
However, the story of this cup tie was to be defined by a red card in the 17th minute to Neuer – the first of his senior career in his 867th game for club and country. At that point, all the tactics discussed before kick-off went out the window.
That being said, it did not turn into the game you’d expect after an early dismissal. Bayern would actually continue to dominate possession (58 percent) and shaded the battle in duels.
“We couldn’t have done much better and been more dominant with 11 today,” said Joshua Kimmich. “It was one of our best performances so far, given the opposition. We can’t complain much about the performance, apart from our chance conversion, but that doesn’t earn us anything.”
That’s because Bayern failed to convert any of their 14 efforts on goal, with only two on target. Leverkusen had 11 in what developed into an open game as they came out of their shell following the red card, although there weren’t many gilt-edge chances (xG: 0.86-1.07).
Alonso tried to force the issue with the introduction of a striker in Patrik Schick at the break, but Bayern still had more efforts in the second period. The tactic of an out-and-out centre-forward only last 15 minutes as well, as the Czech frontman had to go off injured and was replaced by Tella.
That proved a stroke of luck for the holders as he eventually took one of his side’s just three shots in the second half to turn in Grimaldo’s cross with 20 minutes to go.
Kompany’s hands were tied somewhat by the lack of an out-and-out striker option of his own in the absence of Kane as the 10 men failed to find a way through.
The big question from this tie remains what would’ve happened if it had remained 11 against 11 and how the game would’ve progressed from a tactical perspective. We’ll obviously never know.
Alonso gets it spot on… Almost
After a few more defensive-minded displays as Alonso sought to contain a very attacking Bayern side, he went for a very different approach in the Rückrunde meeting at home. Again, he opted to go without a recognised striker with Wirtz and Tella leading a 4-4-2 where Frimpong and Grimaldo again provided width and support in attack from midfield.
Bayern fielded arguably their best available team, with Kane back in front of Olise, Musiala and Kingsley Coman. However, they were completely outplayed.
Leverkusen went with a very aggressive approach, going man-to-man with Bayern across the pitch when the Bavarians had the ball. For example, Jonathan Tah shadowed Musiala from one penalty area to the other. The Werkself press was relentless. They kept Bayen penned in and managed to turn over possession numerous times.
An in-depth analysis of Alonso's approach on Matchday 22
The hosts managed to muster up 16 shots for an xG of 2.23. Bayern, who came into the game with an eight-point lead over the champions, had next to nothing. A blocked Kane shot from a wide area and a Leon Goretzka header – both after the 73rd minute – produced an xG of 0.14 and (once again in this fixture) their lowest figure since the introduction of that stat.
Watch: Leverkusen 0-0 Bayern - Matchday 22 highlights
“Leverkusen played very well today. Leverkusen pressed superbly, secured the ball superbly and also fought for it. If a team forces us to defend, then we have to defend,” Kompany stated after what eventually ended in a 0-0 draw.
“We've had so many games in the past where we've scored a lot of goals. Today the task was different, today it was all about defending – and we did a great job. We defended with a great mentality.”
As for Alonso, he was left ruing what could’ve been from one of the best collective performances by his team this season: “We played at a high level against a strong Bayern team. They usually destroy their opponents, but not today. We created a lot of chances; our intensity was good. We did everything right – except scoring goals. In the end, it wasn't enough.”
Bayern with upper hand
Three different stories, as Kompany had put it, across the three domestic meetings then led to the Champions League round of 16 tie, starting with the first leg in Munich.
Apart from a slight doubt over the fitness of Joshua Kimmich, Bayern’s line-up and ultimately how they planned to approach the game were pretty much a certainty. The question, therefore, was what would Alonso come up with this time?
Again, he opted for a 4-4-2 without a recognised striker, entrusting Wirtz and Adli with doing the business the attacking areas and leading the press.
But in contrast to the meeting a fortnight prior, Bayern were on it from the start and generally that yard quicker than Leverkusen. An early Kane goal set the course at the Allianz Arena. The Werkself were content to contain and only managed a brief spell of sustained pressing.
Kompany’s men had most of the ball and three quarters of the attempts on goal in the first half. The second period was backs against the wall for the visitors. They didn’t manage a single touch in the opposition box, let alone a shot, after the restart.
When Musiala was gifted a second from a Matěj Kovář error and Nordi Mukiele was sent off two minutes later, it was all in Bayern’s hands. It was 3-0 by the time Alonso sent on a striker in Schick for Wirtz.
“On the whole, Bayern were more intense in the duels, were more alert,” said Bayer skipper-on-the-night Tah. The sentiment was echoed by his centre-back counterpart Dayot Upamecano: “We were better in duels today than the opponent and played forward with aggression. It was a very good game by us.”
Bayern’s first win over Leverkusen in seven attempts during the Alonso era was a statement performance and result by Kompany’s men. It was also the first time the Bayer boss didn’t have a tactical answer.
You suspect he’ll have one for Tuesday’s fifth encounter of the season. His team need a big win at 3-0 down going into the second leg. Some tactical wizardry by the Spaniard could be key. And then it’s over to Kompany for a response if Bayern are to see out the tie and advance to the quarter-finals.
Related news
Buendía shines for Leverkusen in Augsburg win
Emiliano Buendía starred as Leverkusen secured a 2-0 home victory against Augsburg which maintains their slim hopes of retaining the title.
How far have Leverkusen come under Xabi Alonso?
In less than three seasons, Alonso has turned Die Werkself from nearly men into a title-winning force to be reckoned with...
Can Wirtz prove the difference in Leverkusen's title bid?
With just five games remaining in the season, bundesliga.com looks at whether the fit-again Germany international can swing the title in Bayer Leverkusen's favour.