Alonso’s Leverkusen storm to first Bundesliga title

Bayer Leverkusen won their first Bundesliga title and got there with five games to spare thanks to a 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen. Bayern Munich beat Cologne on Saturday to keep Leverkusen's title celebrations on hold for at least a day. But there were scenes of jubilation for Xabi Alonso's team when the final whistle blew at BayArena on Sunday. Victor Boniface's 25th-minute penalty set Leverkusen on their way before Granit Xhaka and Florian Wirtz scored stunning goals in quick succession. Supporters stormed on to the pitch in mid-match when star man Wirtz added a fourth in the 82nd minute, and again when he completed a hat-trick soon afterwards. Leverkusen's landmark achievement ends an era of dominance for Bayern, who had won the past 11 Bundesliga titles. Unbeaten in all competitions this season, Leverkusen remain on course for a remarkable treble in Alonso's first full season in charge, with the German Cup and Europa League still in their sights. There has been a sense of inevitability about Leverkusen's Bundesliga win for weeks now. It has been a question of 'when' rather than 'if' the club would get their hands on a first Meisterschale - the championship shield. There was an expectant atmosphere around the BayArena before kick-off as fans eagerly welcomed the Leverkusen team bus with confetti and flares. Werder keeper Michael Zetterer stopped premature celebrations when he prevented Piero Hincapie from tapping in Nathan Tella's cross in the opening moments. But the home crowd erupted when Boniface slotted home from the spot after a video assistant referee check showed Julian Malatini impeding Jonas Hofmann in the penalty area. Werder came close to spoiling Leverkusen's party just before the break, but Marvin Ducksch was unable to direct his glancing header towards goal. Xhaka's superb 25-yard shot on the hour put Alonso's side in firm control, before Wirtz one-upped the former Arsenal midfielder with his own long-range effort. Play resumed quickly after supporters returned to their seats following Wirtz's second, but a sea of red and black shirts swarmed the pitch again when the 20-year-old swept home Leverkusen's fifth, prompting the referee to blow the final whistle. Leverkusen were in the relegation zone when Alonso took charge in October 2022. Barely 18 months later, they are Bundesliga champions.

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Alonso’s Leverkusen storm to first Bundesliga title