Humble! Alonso: Bundesliga Title Favourites are Bayern, Leverkusen’s Aim is Top Four

In the first round of the Bundesliga, defending champions Bayer Leverkusen will face Borussia Mönchengladbach away. Ahead of the match, Leverkusen’s head coach Xabi Alonso attended a press conference where he stated that Leverkusen’s goal is very realistic, aiming for the top four to secure a Champions League spot. As for title favourites, it can only be Bayern Munich.

According to a public opinion poll, many fans see Leverkusen as one of the top contenders for the Bundesliga title this season. However, when asked about this at the press conference, Alonso said, “No, that doesn’t mean anything. From my point of view, we are not the favourites to win the title. In my opinion, Bayern Munich are the favourites.”

Why are Bayern the favourites? Alonso raised his voice, “Because that’s Bayern! Their squad, their history… It’s obvious to me!”

So what is Leverkusen’s goal for the season? Alonso said, “We want to play good football, we want to start this season in a great way, that’s our goal. We want to develop a good feeling in every game, have a good idea, and improve our mentality through each game.”

This statement was somewhat abstract, so the reporters asked Alonso to be more specific. The Leverkusen coach said, “We’ll see what we can achieve, but our goal is to ensure we stay in the top four, which is realistic.”

Of course, Alonso is very satisfied with the team’s setup and players. When talking about the first-round opponents, he pointed out, “I am very satisfied with our squad. We know that every game is tough, and playing away against Mönchengladbach is no exception. They have brought in some excellent players like Stoger and Klein-Dienges, who can help the team. Mönchengladbach are well-prepared; this match will not be like in February (0-0), this time it will be different.”