Leverkusen on the abyss: chaos on the square and in the squad!

Leverkusen on the abyss: chaos on the square and in the squad!

Bayer Leverkusen is currently experiencing a critical phase. After a disappointing 1-1 draw against FC St. Pauli, the gap to league leaders Bayern Munich has increased to eight points. These results are particularly painful, since the club is far from its goals just a year after the championship title and the possibility of the double. The early DFB Cup off to Arminia Bielefeld also pressed the mood. Feverpitch reports of the unstable Situation around the workself.

coach Xabi Alonso, who stayed in Leverkusen after the championship title and rejected a move to Bayern Munich, is now faced with the challenge of bringing the team back on the road to success. Leverkusen currently has second place in the Bundesliga with 64 points, but already achieved 16 points less than in the previous season.

changes in the squad

The uncertainties in the team are also related to the desired rejuvenation of the squad. Defense chief Jonathan Tah is expected to leave the club at the end of the season, with a possible switch to FC Barcelona. But players like Patrik Schick, Victor Boniface, Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo could soon turn Leverkusen back on. Sports director Simon Rolfes faces the challenge of holding the club together and at the same time developing a new sporting identity.

After a weaker start to the Champions League - in which Bayer went down 0: 4 against Liverpool - there are justified doubts about the performance of the team. Alonso considered the result as hard, but emphasized that the first 60 minutes were acceptable. Granit Xhaka said that it was practically impossible to dominate Liverpool for over 90 minutes. In the Bundesliga, Leverkusen has lost against the trend at the top and is already seven points behind Bayern Munich.

defensive problems and opportunities in January

statistics from the current season show that Leverkusen's defensive has deteriorated considerably. While you only had to accept 0.79 goals per game last season, this number is now 1.56. The point potential has also deteriorated drastically. Alonso had an average of 2.65 points per game in the previous season - the current value is only 1.78. Shocking forecasts indicate that Leverkusen could only achieve about 61 points this season, which would mean a decline of 29 points compared to last season.

The age structure in defense, with players like Lukas Hradecky (34), Granit Xhaka (32) and Jonathan Tah (28), could throw a long point of view of the fitness and performance of the defensive. So far, new obligations such as Nordi Mukiele, Belocian and García have not fully convinced and contributed to the current difficulties. In addition, players like Jonas Hofmann received little playing time, which further restricts the offensive.

In a situation that is characterized by both sporting and personnel uncertainties, it remains to be seen how Bayer Leverkusen will develop during the remaining season. The coming weeks could be crucial for the traditional club.