Xabi Alonso surprised a lot of people when he became Bayer Leverkusen manager in October After a fruitful spell with Real Sociedad's second team, the Spanish coach made the jump to first-team management with a move to a club floating just above the Bundesliga relegation zone. It was unquestionably a high-risk gamble that Alonso made to get his first experience in the dugout at an elite side. The season could yet earn them a return to the Champions League, and they have also made good progress in this season's Europa League.
It has been a sensational turnaround based on a number of key tactics that Alonso introduced when he became manager. Alonso uses that shape as his primary system, sometimes adapting it to use a below , with his side dropping back into a or out of possession. However, the most important thing has not been the change of formation, but rather the way the players interpret the system. The way the five defenders operate depends on the objectives the team has with the ball and on their pressing at any given moment.
One weakness has been in their use of a mixed-marking out-of-possession approach. With this, players take responsibility for an opponent who has entered their zone and follow them until the move is over. This has resulted in space behind the Leverkusen midfield, in dangerous central areas for the opposition to exploit.
The below or the has helped to correct this defensive problem, with better balance on the flanks. If Alonso has defensively strong players on one flank, he will go for a more offensive approach on the other, meaning his side is rarely caught with too many players on the wrong side of the ball. He also picks players who have good tactical awareness and know when they need to move central to strengthen that area, rather than leaving the team exposed through the middle.
Alonso wants his Leverkusen team to dominate the ball and play through the lines from back to front. They used to build play with four defenders and two pivots, but now they start with a line of three, one pivot player looking to receive centrally, and two wing-backs stretching the pitch almost like wingers.
