Bayer Leverkusen Make German Football History, but 'Neverkusen' Could Haunt Xabi Alonso’s Men

• Bayer Leverkusen made history after their 4-0 victory over VfL Bochum
• They became the first German club to go unbeaten in the first 25 games
• Xabi Alonso’s men are high-flying but should beware the Neverkusen tag

Bayer Leverkusen ended the first half of the 2023/24 Bundesliga season with a win and will go into the new year four points clear of usual winners, Bayern Munich.

Leverkusen hammered VfL Bochum 4-0 at the BayArena, thanks to a first-half hat-trick from Patrick Schick and a fourth from Nigerian striker, Victor Boniface.

Xabi Alonso’s men also finished top of their UEFA Europa League table, the only team to have a perfect record in the competition's group stage, avoiding a playoff in the next round.

Per Squawka, Alonso’s team are the first German club to remain unbeaten in their first 25 games of the season in all competitions.

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They have won 22 games, drawn three, scored an impressive 81 goals, conceded only 18, and kept 11 clean sheets.

Bayer must be wary of Neverkusen tag

If Leverkusen’s impressive start to the season continues, they are on course for the Bundesliga and Europa League double, but their history could strike and see them lost both competitions.

Per Bundesliga.com, they are nicknamed Neverkusen for finishing runners-up in the league five times without winning, the last of which came in 2001/02, when they lost the league, the UEFA Champions League, and the DFB-Pokal.

Another obstacle on their way is Bayern Munich, who have won 11 consecutive German titles, including a dramatic final-day win last year when Borussia Dortmund capitulated.

In the last six seasons, two teams have led the Bundesliga table at Christmas - Dortmund in the 2018/19 season and RB Leipzig in the 2019/20 season - yet the Bavarians lifted the title both times.

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Fans mock Bayer Leverkusen

Sports Brief previously reported on fans calling Leverkusen Germany's 'Arsenal' despite their unbeaten start to the season, with a belief they will bottle the league.

The Gunners were top of the Premier League table last season for 35 weeks and capitulated, allowing Manchester City to record their historic European 'three-peat'.