German League Champions, These are 5 Important Bayer Leverkusen Players

Jakarta, Beritasatu.com – Bayer Leverkusen won its first Bundesliga title after beating Werder Bremen with a landslide score of 5-0 on Monday (15/4/2024) early morning WIB. This result also extended their unbeaten record to 43 matches.

The success of the club nicknamed Die Werkself is not only the result of Xabi Alonso's hard work as a coach, but also thanks to the extraordinary contribution of several players who brought Leverkusen to a level that is respected in Germany.

They also removed the nickname “Neverkusen” that stuck because they had never won the Bundesliga before.

According to official Bundesliga data, Bayer Leverkusen has a squad full of talent with an average age of 24.8 years. Even though it is a young team, of the 27 registered players, 20 of them have played for their respective countries' national teams.

The presence of a young squad with potential is one of the reasons why Xabi Alonso chose to remain at BayArena and was not tempted by offers from big European clubs, even though Liverpool and Bayern Munich had shown interest in signing him.

Of the 27 players, there are five names who are Xabi Alonso's mainstay because of their consistent contribution in bringing victory to the team:

1. Florian Wirtz
Florian Wirtz is a bright star among Leverkusen's young players, with the ability to read opponents' play and accurate passes similar to Kevin de Bruyne's style.

2. Alex Grimaldo
The left back, who was recruited at no cost from Benfica, has become a mainstay in providing sharp passes from the left side of the field. Even though he got it for free, Grimaldo performed brilliantly, reversing everyone's expectations.

The man who was born in Valencia 28 years ago is also skilled at taking free kicks and corner kicks. The duo of Grimaldo on the left and Jeremie Frimpong on the right have contributed 39 goals for Leverkusen this season.

Another advantage of Grimaldo is excellent stamina and rarely gets injured. He is the second player with the most minutes played (3,416 minutes) after Granit Xhaka (3,445 minutes).

3. Xhakha Granite
Even though he is not the youngest player, this former Arsenal player brings valuable experience from the English Premier and is one of the players with the highest running distance in the Bundesliga.

In Bundesliga records, Swiss national team players covered 339.6 km in 29 league matches this season, followed by Alex Grimaldo with 327.8 km.

4. Victor Boniface
This player from Nigeria became Leverkusen's goal machine, even though he was absent due to injury. He managed to score 11 goals in eighteen matches. In fact, his sharpness was disrupted due to injury.

The 23-year-old striker has even stolen the attention of Leverkusen fans because he immediately scored three goals in the first five games since being brought in from Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise at the start of this season.

5. Jonathan Tah
This German player with Ivorian roots has been part of Leverkusen since 2015. Tah led a solid defense and conceded only 19 goals throughout the season. This makes it one of the key factors in the club's success.

The main defender for the German national team for Euro 2024 has also contributed four goals, including the important goal against RB Leipzig in January which turned things around for Leverkusen's victory.