Xabi Alonso and the 'Miracle of Istanbul': How Spaniard's past can inspire Bayer Leverkusen to UEFA Champions League comeback
In Xabi Alonso's words, Bayer Leverkusen need "a miracle" to recover from their 3-0 UEFA Champions League round of 16 first-leg defeat to Bayern Munich. However, as the head coach’s past tells us, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat is far from impossible...
As Leverkusen travelled to the Allianz Arena last week, they will have felt confident of defeating their German rivals to continue their quest for European glory. After all, they last lost to a side from Germany on their travels in May 2023, and they were unfortunate not to beat Bayern in the Bundesliga on Matchday 22 after restricting the record champions to just two shots, neither of which were on target.
However, the reigning Bundesliga holders produced a below-par performance as they were comfortably beaten. Harry Kane’s brilliant header broke the deadlock, but Leverkusen were ultimately the architects of their own downfall, with Matěj Kovář’s fumble allowing Jamal Musiala to tap into an empty net before Nordi Mukiele received a straight red card. The visitors’ night was compounded when Kane dispatched a penalty after Edmond Tapsoba had brought down the forward in the area.
After the match, Alonso said, “It will take time to analyse and go through this result because we have been beaten well. Everything went against us because of us.”
However, he refused to give in totally, which you would expect from a two-time winner of this competition. “But it is not over until it is over," he explained. “The mindset has to be that, and if there is a chance, we will fight for it. We have to fight back. We will learn from this and believe in our return leg.”
That quote was in response to a question from a reporter about whether the Spaniard and his players would look to the 'Miracle of Istanbul' for inspiration. Because if anyone knows that a 3-0 scoreline does not spell elimination, it is Alonso.
When Liverpool travelled to Turkey to take on AC Milan in the final of the 2005 final, the Italians were favourites. After all, they had beaten compatriots Juventus in the showpiece at Old Trafford two years prior and could call upon a host of world-class stars such as Kaká, Hernán Crespo, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, Andriy Shevchenko and Andrea Pirlo.
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The Italians lived up to expectations in the first half as they romped into a 3-0 lead courtesy of Crespo's double and a goal from Maldini. The English side, meanwhile, barely laid a finger on the Rossoneri, and the outcome seemed inevitable.
However, what followed was astonishing. Out of nothing, Liverpool staged the unlikeliest of comebacks. Led by captain and heartbeat of the team Steven Gerrard, the Reds netted twice in quick succession after the restart to give themselves hope.
Then, Alonso played a crucial role in the equaliser. The former Real Sociedad man was given the responsibility of taking a penalty – despite never having taken a spot-kick in his career up until that point - and, although Dida was equal to his initial spot-kick, the midfielder mopped up the rebound to send the English away contingent into raptures. That effort allowed Liverpool to reach a shootout, and they subsequently held their nerve to lift Europe’s premier club competition for the fifth time.
Several years after that encounter, Alonso revealed that the Liverpool supporters played a significant role in the team’s recovery, which is particularly important given Leverkusen host Bayern at the BayArena in the second leg. “We all remember coming into the tunnel at half-time and listening to our fans. We could hear them singing, supporting and probably that gave us extra motivation. They believe in us. We have to make them proud and try at least to fight because what was happening wasn't good enough."
Some may suggest that Liverpool's turnaround was a one-off, but there have been other examples of incredible comebacks in recent years. Liverpool were 3-0 down against Barcelona after the first leg of their 2018/19 semi-final yet recovered to prevail 4-3, while Roma lost 4-1 to the Spanish side at the Camp Nou before winning 3-0 at home in the second leg of their 2017/18 quarter-final to go through on away goals.
Meanwhile, Barcelona completed arguably the biggest comeback in the 2016/17 round of 16 when, after suffering a 4-0 loss against Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital, they won 6-1 in Spain.
Watch: Highlights from Leverkusen against Bayern since Xabi Alonso arrived, including a 3-0 Bundesliga win
Of course, the odds are stacked against Leverkusen next week. But Alonso and his memories may well be the best source of belief for the Werkself. It is not over until the final whistle blows, and in 90 minutes of football (or even longer), anything can happen.
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