Josip Stanisic scored in the seventh minute of stoppage time as Bayer Leverkusen extended their unbeaten run to 45 games in all competitions with a 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.
After years of heartbreak and being dubbed "Neverkusen" for their string of runners-up finishes, Bayer Leverkusen finally broke through to claim their first-ever Bundesliga title. Their 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen last week secured the trophy, marking a watershed moment in the club's 119-year history. Although they have enjoyed intermittent cup success, this league title signifies a shift in their fortunes.
Whatever Alonso said at halftime clearly worked.
"We want more. We want the (German) Cup, we want Europa League," the 42-year-old said over the stadium PA to thousands of Leverkusen fans after his side 43rd straight match without defeat.
The team made sure of their first trophy in 31 years with five matches left in the season.
The German equivalent of "Neverkusen" is "Vizekusen", which translates to "the champions of second place".
Leverkusen's 5-0 win over Werder Bremen at home on Sunday, including a second-half hat-trick from Florian Wirtz, sealed a first Bundesliga title in their 120-year history.
Bayer Leverkusen's record-breaking run to their first Bundesliga title was no fluke, with a 16-month plan coming to fruition.
Xabi Alonso's team, who have now gone a league-record 29 matches without defeat this season to secure their first trophy since 1993, have a 16-point lead over Bayern with five matches remaining.
Josip Stanisic scored in the seventh minute of stoppage time as Bayer Leverkusen extended their unbeaten run to 45 games in all competitions with a 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.
After years of heartbreak and being dubbed "Neverkusen" for their string of runners-up finishes, Bayer Leverkusen finally broke through to claim their first-ever Bundesliga title. Their 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen last week secured the trophy, marking a watershed moment in the club's 119-year history. Although they have enjoyed intermittent cup success, this league title signifies a shift in their fortunes.
Whatever Alonso said at halftime clearly worked.
"We want more. We want the (German) Cup, we want Europa League," the 42-year-old said over the stadium PA to thousands of Leverkusen fans after his side 43rd straight match without defeat.
The team made sure of their first trophy in 31 years with five matches left in the season.
The German equivalent of "Neverkusen" is "Vizekusen", which translates to "the champions of second place".
Leverkusen's 5-0 win over Werder Bremen at home on Sunday, including a second-half hat-trick from Florian Wirtz, sealed a first Bundesliga title in their 120-year history.
Bayer Leverkusen's record-breaking run to their first Bundesliga title was no fluke, with a 16-month plan coming to fruition.
Xabi Alonso's team, who have now gone a league-record 29 matches without defeat this season to secure their first trophy since 1993, have a 16-point lead over Bayern with five matches remaining.
Bayern's win means Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen, 13 points clear of the Bavarians, need to beat Werder Bremen on Sunday to lift the Bundesliga for the first time.