How Bayer Leverkusen Has Set the Bar in German Top-Flight

For the first time in franchise history, Bayer Leverkusen has finally broken the curse of not winning a Bundesliga title, beating Werder in a 5-0 rout to put the title drought to rest. What makes it so special is that they also closed out a history dynasty from Bayern Munich, who has been dominating the German top-flight for 11 straight years. Now it is time for football in Germany to usher into a new era – the beginning of a much more competitive league.

What Has Been the Journey for Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer has seen a lot of disappointments in the game image

Taking football to the next level has been the goal for Bayer ever since its inception as a football club. However, football critics can be harsh, and such is the cruel and truly unrelenting world of football. No team is ever considered a relevant football club if it has never won a single title in its history, and before the victory over Werder earlier this week, Bayer was just another team in the Bundesliga. Of course, Bayer isn’t without some hopeful strides over the years, finishing as runners-up four times before 2000, and that year also saw them nearly getting a chance at a title, just a draw away from doing so. Since then, the “Neverkusen” moniker has been coined by many fans and critics alike, with the club seemingly incapable of being able to win a title when it matters most.

Of course, this curse isn’t limited to the tough losses in the domestic league. There are also other competitions to consider, such as the DFB-Pokal and the Champions League – all of which have seen some tough losses for Bayer in their big games that could have gifted them a title at the end of the day.

Bayer has did the impossible in their 2023-24 run image

While Bayer did continuously produce world-class players from time to time, success itself as a whole has been far from reality. This just shows how unlucky the team has been over the years, especially with those close calls that have shown so much promise for the team’s progress as a championship squad. It’s always been a “so close, yet so far” scenario for Leverkusen, with critics always claiming that there’s a missing piece for their title chances over the years.

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Breaking the Drought

Since the 2010s, it has been Bayern Munich’s show on the big stage of the Bundesliga. They have been an undefeated juggernaut in the German top-flight, a feared opponent for all European clubs over the years. The team started out with a meager roster, until they invested all they’ve got and brought in quality players to come up with continued success in the game and have done a great job of keeping them together for many years, laying the foundation of the decade-long dominance in the game.

However, it was time for Bayer Leverkusen to come up with the same formula, and they did find ways to ensure that they would get the very same opportunity to build on such a promising squad and managerial staff. So how Bayer delivered a championship run in the 2023-24 season?

A Gamble on Alonso

Many people were initially shocked with the way that Xabi Alonso closed out his career in the game. We all know how good he was as a player in Bayern Munich, making the best out of his illustrious playing run with a lot of promising performances as a star. And it is also fair to say that he was expected to be a bright coaching talent as soon as he wrapped up his career. Top coaches in the EPL such as Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola had high hopes for him to become a manager in the sport, and the Spanish star certainly didn’t fail to impress – he exceeded expectations at a high level.

Alonso earned the "King Xabi" moniker in Bayer image

So when Bayer made their move to sign Alonso as their main man on the bench, many fans met the decision with a lot of skepticism. At the time, Leverkusen was close to being relegated, and bringing in Alonso didn’t seem to be a long-term solution that could bring them to a higher level of competition.

After all, no one can deny the fact that bringing in a new coach at the time isn’t a sound decision if your club is close to the brink of falling to the second tier of football. As a player, Alonso had it all. He was the man who won the Champions League, the World Cup, and even the Bundesliga itself. But that has to translate to the coaching part as well, which was something to be considered for him to be named as an effective manager. That he did when the team managed to climb from the bottom to the sixth spot by the end of the 2022-23 season, and the makings of a great team were already there at the very least.

Alonso was doused in beer after the title win image

Rise of a New Contender in Germany

So when Alonso realized that the team wasn’t enough on their own, the manager fueled the rise of a new contender in Germany. He went on to bring in Granit Xhaka from Arsenal, veteran winger Jonas Hoffman from Hoffenheim, and a proven winner from Benfica in Alex Grimaldo. The biggest addition that made them a contender? Adding an underrated star in Victor Boniface from Union Saint-Gilloise. Almost every signing proved to be a promising piece for the club, and one can say that their €90 million spending is clearly a win for their squad.

Bayer became an instant contender in 2022-23 image

Leverkusen proved to be an instant contender to begin the 2023-24 season. They were winning impressive games, and they have been finding ways to claim points one game after another. The Bundesliga was starting to take notice, and they are seeing bigger strides from what once used to be a lowly team in the league. Slowly but surely, Bayer was gaining ground in the Bundesliga, eclipsing the presence of known contenders such as Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, and Stuttgart – before blowing past Bayern to the top of the league with such a promising pace in their games.

In the Face of Mounting Pressure

Of course, nothing is easy in the Bundesliga, and this meant that Bayer had to keep their pace going if they are going to win on the big stage. Leverkusen was locked in a three-front battle as they had to focus on winning games in the Europa League and the DFB-Pokal – all while the club was also running away with the league in hopes of putting their success at the top now more than ever.

Bayer thrived in pressure throughout the 2023-24 season image

Most of their stars have played their best football yet, and it cannot be denied that the squad has done a great job to stay afloat in the competition – breaking records they can shatter en route. The scoring guns for Bayer have become threatening even to some of the toughest teams to play against – especially the defending champions Bayern Munich. They have beaten them well with a promising groove, showing how well Leverkusen has responded to adversaries and the pressure that has kept them going well on the big stage.

Dawn of a New Era in Bundesliga

The victory over Bayern was a sign of things to come image

The Bundesliga is one of the toughest leagues in European football, and it cannot be denied that Bayer Leverkusen has made their presence felt by winning the title and showing the rest of the competition that they also have what it takes to win big on the biggest stage of football. Now more than ever, they are setting a new trend to bring more league competitiveness. Their very strength invites challenge, and Bayern, for instance, is going to be back next season for revenge. On top of that, other Bundesliga contenders such as Stuttgart, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, and even Eintracht Frankfurt are all expected to make some noise in the next season, especially as they have failed to make the most of their chances.

This is why you can definitely expect a new shift in power in the Bundesliga now more than ever, and it would mean that we can see bigger scenarios in the league for years to come – all because Leverkusen set the bar.

Bet on the Bundesliga’s 2024-25 Season

We can definitely expect bigger betting opportunities in the Bundesliga for years to come, and Bayer Leverkusen is going to be one of the biggest favorites that you can consider betting on for a bigger chance at winning. This is why it is a chance that you should not pass up if you are keen to win handsome rewards from your wagers.

Lucky for you, GambleSpot can provide you with the latest updates from the Bundesliga and the rest of the sports world! Our hottest news, blogs, betting guides, game analyses, predictions, and many other sports-related content will gear you up to make the best informed betting decisions in the long run.