How Xabi Alonso Masterminded Bayern Munich Defeat |

Welcome to The Athletic FC's KZbin channel, where best-in-class journalism meets video.
Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen took another step towards ending Bayern Munich's dominance in the Bundesliga with a 3-0 victory over the champions at the weekend. But how did the league leaders manage to keep Harry Kane quiet?
Jon Mackenzie takes a look 🧠
#bundesliga #footballshorts #harrykane
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Music sourced from Epidemic Sound
Additional footage sourced from AP Newsroom

[@NobleCris363]

Hojlund: You guys are getting 18 touches 🤨

[@cameronjones8641]

😂😂😂👌🏼. Our wingers pass when they should shoot and shoot when they should pass. At one stage Antony had passed to Hojland 2 times in 5.5 hours of football together. Absolutely mind blowing!

[@Llihor]

Ha ha nice one But i think it's a general theme with PL teams, a more difficult league overall

[@cameronjones8641]

@Llihor Antony is so one footed he should be registered disabled. That one has nothing to do with the Prem😉

[@Mr.Apex99]

Stop it, man 😂😂

[@abdul-failumaahe3180]

@@cameronjones8641😂

[@OmKumar-ku2ke]

The adaptability from there usual strong forward was astonishing

[@ahmadhayat660]

1k likes and 0 replies lemme fix that

[@uncreative5766]

I just realized why I don't know about soccer/football tactics, it's because it's essentially one huge game of chess, and I suck at chess.

[@lonewolfalpha8398]

It's a simple game. What makes it seem complex is the depth of its history. Because it's been going on for so long, coaches and players have thought up simple tactics which have been outdone by other simple, but slightly more complex tactics. Over the hundred-and-something years, things have been done and outdone so many times that it's difficult to digest it all. If you look at tactics throughout history, though, you will see that the same patterns appear again and again and are simply absorbed by, and combined with, other simple tactics. That's where the "complexity" is. What somebody like Pep or Alonso does is simple, but the genius is in knowing when to apply it and knowing how to get your players to implement it at the exact moment it's needed. I've done this on a lower level. Coached teenage boys to an invincible season and many of them are now at pro academies. It's all the same fundamentals. Obviously, there's far more pressure at the top, though.

[@hitthurdeaux]

@@lonewolfalpha8398 Very well said. Completely agree. Regarding your coaching background- what sort of training drills would you recommend for youth players?

[@lonewolfalpha8398]

@@hitthurdeaux It all depends on the general level of your players firstly, I'd say. What sort of skill level are we talking? The lads I coached were generally technically very good, so we would work on fitness (circuits--especially in preseason/early season and after Christmas break), teamwork (small-sided games with caveats; and this also brings on the technical side), and tactical (coaching specific scenarios like attacking on the break, or defending when the attackers have an overload, and getting the players to embed the actions into their subconscious minds), and I liked to take care of the psychological side (which I think is most important when there's very little you can teach them from a technical POV). If you're coaching at the top of your respective level, the mental coaching makes the most difference and is the hardest to coach: managing emotions, ambitions, disappointment, being rejected, dealing with injury, keeping calm under pressure, dealing with aggressive opponents without retaliating, staying professional, training hard, noticing tiny details on and off the pitch, balancing home and football life... that sort of thing. If it's lower level, I would concentrate mostly on technical basics and teamwork, and work on mastering a single simple tactic to solidify the autonomy in the players, then go from there once they're all comfortable with how it works. Add a little to it gradually. Example: play a 4-4-2 and get everyone comfortable with their roles within it over the course of months (make sure the strikers work together and the defence and midfield move as units in defence), then start training one full-back to overlap and the midfielder in front of him to tuck in and anticipate it, or maybe coach the bigger, stronger forward to drop deeper to use his physique to hold up the ball and play in an overlapping midfielder. Stuff like that. That's a very brief summary, but I think you can get the idea there.

[@theprince1795]

​@@lonewolfalpha8398this was really helpful. Did you do your badges and if so up to when and how would you advice someone to get better football/tactics knowledge? .thanks in advance if you manage to reply

[@newbie4789]

The relationship between chess and football is very well known. Most of the fantasy leagues are dominated by top chess players because of that. I remember when Magnus Carlsen was at the top of Fantasy premier league

[@user-pg2zc4oi6r]

Jesus Harry aint getting a trophy

[@liam4603]

Because he's an awful footballer. Penalty stat padding merchant.

[@TaxEvader22]

@@liam4603dang bro what’d he do to you 😭

[@spongebobrectanglepants]

@@liam4603Awful footballer? That’s just pushing it

[@pcman--5326]

@@liam4603 what did he say💀💀💀💀

[@NoOne0001-]

​@@liam4603he is one of the most complete Striker in terms of abilities

[@bulemwaitirwa3113]

Damn Alonso is good. If he gets a good sporting director he will become great.

[@polarfuchs1692]

Id say he does have a good one at Leverkusen. Look at the transfers of this season...

[@EmreYagc-mj2bv]

Got coached by both Pep and Mourinho so he knows the game well

[@jamesvictor6682]

PLEASE BRING BACK LONG FORM CONTENT!!!

[@pozsoz]

This would have made a good long video, I miss old Tifo

[@NachoBearYeah]

Letting them have only 0.27 xG is CRAZY

[@debagniksen7809]

When you guys will be back with full match analysis. Miss those episodes

[@funni193]

Give harry a trophy bruv💀

[@TheAthleticFC]

Will Leverkusen go all the way? 👀

[@Thandomzamo223]

Yep that game against bayern proved it

[@kartikchandra1208]

NEVERKUSEN!!

[@alwinw64]

They already have ❤

[@suriyatest3734]

​@@kartikchandra1208neverlosen!

[@miscellaneous69420]

Bayer Neverlosen

[@jakedean7941]

Would love this as a long form video! Can tell there is a lot more to go into

[@kartikchandra1208]

Pls make a vid on Tuchel's tactics and why he keeps out de Ligt ffs. Also cheers mate gr8 videos

[@BigDeyum]

Tuchel ruined Bayern

[@JamailvanWestering]

@@BigDeyumnot just Bayern also Chelsea

[@mananghildiyal2675]

he just hates de ligt istg, de ligt did so well in previous game and even scored a header but still this clown kept him in the bench and started dier over him- dier wasn't even a 5th choice center back for Tottenham and tuchel is starting him over de ligt, idc about tactics coz this decision itself is blasphemy

[@keenemokwena4342]

De ligt is a liability Arial situations that is why tuchel wanted him out because against leverkusen s great crossers the defence is vastly out numbered

[@mananghildiyal2675]

@@keenemokwena4342 ain't no way you said that 💀

[@sebbensebbenandsebben691]

Kane just did a reversed bundes tax

[@johnlau6749]

and then Lazio did the similar thing to Bayern last night

[@milktea2422]

Tactical awareness is what really wins you big games when your team ain’t filled with super stars. Look at the 2022 World Cup final, remember when Mbappe had like 3 touches for the first 78 minutes? If you don’t have best of the bets in every position you have to play as one, cutting out passes from ever reaching the best players on the other team. I’m hoping for Bayern to finally lose the league, can’t be a serious league if a team dominates for 10 years straight.

[@user-fz7ik6kr8j]

From Neverkusen To Invisiblekusen Thanks to Xabi Alonso

[@KarlSkorger]

Harry finna get a trophy next season

[@DKMediaTV]

Please make this full length

[@kakra41]

Will they be doing any more non-short tactical breakdowns? Or are they only doing these short clips going forward?

[@Sinchanedits123]

In tha attacking phase, the left midfielder of bayern munich remains free😅

[@Chriswatt313]

He had to form half the team around Harry to stop him,just shows how much he ain’t worried bout other players,Bayern manager should ov recognised that a got Kane to drop deep and assist he is brilliant at that not just a goal scorer

[@claywandera2486]

Ten hag employed a similar press last season with his front 3. It leaves a far-out route for a pass, but if the player with the ball is pressed properly like in leverkusen it ably closes that option

[@ryanfinnerty6239]

Difference is Leverkusen have a b5 that can cover width more aggressively than a 4 who naturally tend to narrow up

[@claywandera2486]

@@ryanfinnerty6239 utd can also adopt a situational back 5 with change of shape. Casemiro dropping back and coming out from time to time

[@claywandera2486]

@ryanfinnerty6239 they can also deliberately leave a player free for a switch but either prevent a switch or when the switch is on then they can defend and shift quickly

[@zeybarur]

Key phrase being "if the ball is pressed properly". It's virtually the same problem Man Utd have had for years now, only this time I think it's definitely down to players, because Ten Hag's tactics have worked in the past.

[@claywandera2486]

@zeybarur any press usually had to be gotten right but also exploit the weakness in the opposition build up play to suffocate them. I think it has to be executed in both aspects. As well as have a back up incase u lose the press. Man utd has often relied on each person winning the one on one battles and thus if one fails, the whole system is broken down

[@ronaldpangaribuan1377]

I did the formation 5-2-3 and i lose streak

[@subarnikmandal_MUSIC]

Salute to my fev. Player (now coach)

[@Football_X_cookz]

Please tell me guys how do you understand football tactics by watching matches i watched the whole game but didnt understand that what were the tactics of both teams can anyone explain how to understand what is going on in a football game and how to understand tactics

[@Ccccc-mi3tr]

If you want to understand the tactics, stop following the ball when watching and observe team shape and individual players, rewind phases if possible. Once you stop following the ball, evening when watching highlights you’ll start to see things

[@Football_X_cookz]

@Ccccc-mi3tr ok so you mean that I should watch the format of the team playing rather than the ball being passed

[@Football_X_cookz]

@Ccccc-mi3tr but then how will I understand strategy if I don't watch the ball how will I understand that how they create build up how they pass the ball to the final third

[@kothicamedarth2680]

​@@Football_X_cookzHes saying you should see the players who are in the frame& space being covered when the ball moves /comes.

[@cameronjones8641]

​​@@Football_X_cookzYou will see the ball in your peripheral vision and as you scan the pitch will keep track of the ball as well as the structure of player positions. As the excellent original response said, rewatch passages of play so you pretty much know the passing sequence and then you can see the spaces that are being created and closed down.

[@lapha6407]

Xavi is going to excel at Anfield.

[@user-lq4gc5dh9r]

Is there a way in fifa 23 to make my defense emulate this transitional style when attacking?

[@georgebingham123]

You'd have better luck on FM24

[@jonny3801]

@@georgebingham123Is FM worth it?

[@bananarama3624]

​@jonny3801 Watch some youtubers like Zealand, workthespace, lollujo and doctorbenjy. That will give you a rough idea of if you will like it or not before buying the game

[@georgebingham123]

@jonny3801 it depends what you want. It has a large learning curve

[@jamieturtle]

What’s going wrong is that Tuchel is changing the tactics for the first time this season in a must-win game.

[@HipHop-op3hq]

That is defensive play with box to box midfielders and lethal attackers ask ten hag to do that

[@joshseale4981]

Great explanation :)

[@Rayyangaming-ro6tj]

But the fact is that all the three goals of Leverkusen were scored by there wing backs

[@AcidAdventurer]

It was a big game with a lot on the line. They didn't have to do much to keep Kane quiet

[@RuiEspinha]

I have an idea: a video which has more than half a minute

[@SeriousBartYT]

Kudos to Herr Voller, the transfer committee, the sporting structure, the players, the coaching staff and Alonso. It shows the importance of making early, good, shrewd signings in the market. On a lighter note, I guess you ought to have a Liverpudlian connection to beat Bayern and win the meisterschale😅.

[@maskedninja3669]

these 18 touches r there only because like go deep in middle if midfield is struggling

[@alone2break]

So this is why pep keep his winger so wide as a passing outlet

[@clownzyyt5017]

These are the types of plays that I always thought about but no one did, they called me Mr. Fifas for thinking like that, Leverkusen simply has a perfect game structure😂

[@BlackChrishi]

Get him to my club

[@retro3889]

Alonso after he heard. Harry is coming to bayern

[@AodhanBeag]

Kane proving himself nice and got all that the Spurs effect does in fact travel with you abroad

[@bismarkkwadzo5968]

The reason he started Stanisic

[@Marcusss77]

Wow🧠🤝🏾

[@zippymo672]

To find out how its all going wrong for Bayern? Tottenham:- I'm not saying anything.

[@Tommylee4861]

That's how 🤔 😳 😐 he did

[@chelovek0077]

I didn't understand anything, but it's very interesting.

[@theriq7625]

Now they won the league 😂😂

[@connormacleod8342]

It does help that Harry can't play big games

[@willyoulove]

a good striker like kane getting 18 touch but great striker like benzema touch a 15 y.o

[@TheofficialGodofwar]

Tbh I don’t think Bayern made it difficult

[@tigazoonksatu301]

Counter is long balll

[@heyrian]

yo explain this with fm24 tactics

[@ramengod5768]

Bad planking by Bayern coach tbh. He shluld have seen hiw agresive Leverkusen were and dropped a midfielder to the back line. Pushed the left backs and encouraged a 1v1, which his players more than likely could win

[@user-yd1cp4ku5g]

Send this video to Thomas tuchel

[@Zvvox]

Bayern can prove leverkusen wrong right now it’s 1-0 and Bayern is leading vs leverkusen

[@Dragonslayerthatlovesboob]

3:50

[@AndreBaguette]

3 - 0 over bayern Munich is insane

[@aniqyusof2237]

There are only 3 managers I’ve heard so far that are great players and also great managers. Zinedine Zidane, Johan Cruyff and Xabi Alonso. Edit: Franz Beckenbauer is a great player and a great manager as well (Thanks for the likes)

[@HNB444]

Pep??

[@aniqyusof2237]

@@HNB444 I forgot 💀

[@user-ho2sj4cw4z]

Sometimes 5 at the back becomes the greatest formation in football

[@Hadori-kun]

3-4-3 can be 5-4-1 when defending and 3-2-5 when attacking

[@user-ho2sj4cw4z]

It's always the wing backs

[@ericthekop9624]

ฺBossss.

[@Arejen03]

ALonso CHAD

[@dejesuspainting4580]

They won because they were better. Yeah you can analyze the game and whatnot but this is just world class modern football. It’s a chess match now.

[@Teachr.]

Tuchel cojls have made alot of moves he couls have pushed the 2 pivots up and invert the Left wingback and build up. He could have dropped musiala deeper down to create superieorty he could have rotated due to more movement and make the man to man marking very difficult. Tuchel could have absolutely destroy xabis strucure and dominate posession.

[@prakash9091]

You look like Harry kane's dad

[@rochuha]

Zane😂😂😂

[@mihacebin4341]

It's harry kane, it's a big game. It's not rocket sience

[@minicime8516]

Can you guys please post a real video it's been ages

[@hveisel]

It's so sad how quickly this channel has devolved from the amazing content we once got...

[@Isa13575]

Clubs be watching this channel on how to play like leverkusen and stop masterclass team like bayern and city and hes leaking tactics which the club spent ages working on

[@cameronjones8641]

Guardiola and city are not comparable with the fraud Tuchel and Bayern Munich, I do agree with the sentiment though. I bet Alonso is like 🤫🤫🤫🤫 😂

[@Tmoney0594]

Why is there an article about why it’s going wrong for Bayern instead of how it’s going right for Leverauksen? Why is negativity the only thing that sells?

[@cameronjones8641]

It is going wrong at Bayern and if you haven't noticed, Leverkusen and Alonso have been getting huge recognition all year. For all of Kane's superb start to life at Munich and some individual brilliance, the team have shown weaknesses and a lack of direction many times this year. It's obvious to almost everyone that Tuchel is not doing well. He won the league last year simply because Dortmund choked and his fascination with Premier League players who are worse than what he already has shows just how poor he is.

[@hitthurdeaux]

Because Bayern has the more talented squad that’s for the most part used to winning the league. They’re expected to do better than Leverkusen.

[@maze95]

Its München not munich

[@nostraoffice1486]

saying the words "xabi's back 5" is tactical stupidity

[@A30_TKD]

*münchen

[@sanikwimbere9622]

🎉🎉🎉

[@petersugar7726]

Harry Kane is made for losing sadly

[@user-sx1be7my8y]

Arsenal take notes 🗒️📝

[@ahmedsaber3202]

Nah Bro bayern need a new manager tuchel should retire from coaching

[@greendevil8796]

Just play Muller , gnabry , goretzka and delight 🤦🏼‍♂️. Tuchel a Kai haverts doesn't take birth every every .... Stop ur obsession with one two season wonders .. and play strategically

[@mehmethuseyinkzl8447]

Qaraba

[@alimirza851]

Stoopid-assz tuchel tactic using 2 DM..the flaw come from midfield. 😑

[@1meetup]

Wherever Harry goes, a trophy goes somewhere else.

[@Ccccc-mi3tr]

Harry Kane ghosting in yet another big game. This is Football heritage

[@hitthurdeaux]

Inarguably his biggest flaw.

[@oscarinlopez546]

Also Tuchel is a poor coach

[@ferdinandmaldonado3582]

👍👍

[@Supreme-if6bt]

Bayern 3-4-3?

[@AIcecreamg529]

Hello

[@mark4045]

Not exactly rocket science is it? Anyone who knows anything about football will know that. You’re not giving an exclusive

[@chidinmaememandu7526]

we fight not against flesh and blood but the principalities of darkness and pls accept JESUS CHRIST in JESUS CHRIST NAME AMEN 🙏

[@sufferssilently]

Сф через терпилу

[@Braunbaer01]

Well Kane is a flop and Bayern made the Ronaldo Juventus move. So the Bundesliga become the best League in the world again not only in fans, but in quality and entertainment. RIP Premiere League (New Farmers League)

[@ponganfutbolenstardewvalle2888]

The athletic ruined this channel, it’s just more of the same bs coming out of a conveyor belt. Tifo irl used to mean something