Retour sur la saison quasi-parfaite du Bayer Leverkusen
Invaincu en Bundesliga et champion pour la première fois, le Bayer Leverkusen a impressionné durant la saison 2023-2024. Les hommes de Xabi Alonso n’auront qu’un seul regret, la finale de l’Europa League perdue face à l’Atalanta.
La saison aurait pu se terminer en apothéose parfaite le 22 mai. Le Bayer Leverkusen aurait pu réaliser un doublé historique en battant l’Atalanta Bergame en finale de Ligue Europa. C’est tout l’inverse qui s’est produit à l’Aviva Stadium de Dublin : portés par un Ademola Lookman irrésistible, auteur d’un triplé, le club italien a écrasé les rêves du B04 de décrocher son deuxième titre européen après sa Coupe de l’UEFA en 1988.
Les souvenirs de Glasgow en 2002 ont resurgi auprès des fans allemands. À l’époque, Zinédine Zidane et sa volée somptueuse avaient privé les coéquipiers de Michael Ballack de leur première Ligue des Champions (défaite 1-2 contre le Real Madrid). Cette année-là, Leverkusen avait même terminé deuxième de Bundesliga, avec un surnom qui lui collait à la peau : « Neverkusen » (un jeu de mots avec « never » en anglais qui signifie « jamais »), condamné à ne jamais s’imposer lors des grands rendez-vous.
<blockquote class=”instagram-media” data-instgrm-permalink=”https://www.instagram.com/p/C7SdzS6Iopu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading” data-instgrm-version=”14″ style=” background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);”><div style=”padding:16px;”> <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/C7SdzS6Iopu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading” style=” background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;” target=”_blank”> <div style=” display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;”> <div style=”background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;”></div> <div style=”display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;”> <div style=” background-color: #F4F4F4; 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Mais avec 51 matchs consécutifs sans défaites toutes compétitions confondues avant cet effondrement contre l’Atalanta, la saison 2023-24 du désormais « Winnerkusen » restera inscrite dans les annales du sport comme l’une des plus incroyables.
Une domination totale en Allemagne
Leverkusen a été sacré roi de Bundesliga pour la première fois de son histoire. Le plus impressionnant est de l’avoir fait sans céder la moindre rencontre : 28 victoires et six nuls. Une première pour le championnat allemand. Même le Bayern Munich, du haut de ses 33 titres, ne l’avait jamais fait, lui qui restait sur 11 sacres d’affilée depuis 2013 avant que le B04 ne lui succède cette année. Les Munichois ont même terminé à la 3ème place, notamment battus 3-0 par Leverkusen durant la 21ème journée.
Pour couronner le tout, trois joueurs de Leverkusen ont été appelés dans la pré-liste de l’équipe nationale allemande pour disputer l’Euro à domicile cet été. Avec Jonathan Tah, Robert Andrich et Florian Wirtz dans ses rangs, les sites proposant des paris du jour voient l’Allemagne (cote de 6.40 le 24 mai) parmi les favoris, avec l’Angleterre (3.95) et la France (4.90). Wirtz, élu meilleur joueur de Bundesliga, a d’ailleurs été l’un des hommes forts de l’effectif de Xabi Alonso cette saison : 18 buts et 19 passes décisives en 45 matches joués.
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Le milieu de terrain allemand a représenté toute cette saison la capacité du B04 à ne jamais rien lâcher jusqu’à la dernière : le club a marqué à 15 reprises dans le temps additionnel pour arracher la victoire ou le nul au dernier moment. Au total, c’est 25% de ses buts (33) marqués après la 80ème minute de jeu.
La deuxième saison de Xabi Alonso à la tête du Bayer Leverkusen a donc été une réussite quasi-totale. C’est avec un nouvel objectif européen en ligne de mire, la Ligue des Champions, que le technicien espagnol avancera la saison prochaine.