Xabi Alonso makes his Anfield return on Tuesday night – but in a different capacity to how many Liverpool fans previously thought he would.
The former Reds midfielder was heavily tipped to succeed Jurgen Klopp on Merseyside earlier this year before staying with Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga title last season.
Instead, Liverpool went for Feyenoord boss Arne Slot, who has made a superb start to his reign, with the club currently sitting top of the Premier League and winning all three of their Champions League games so far this term.
Alonso, who scored in the final when Liverpool won the competition in 2005, has the chance to end that perfect start when the Reds host Leverkusen in their fourth Champions League game on Tuesday.
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Slot: Alonso is a ‘special’ manager
Slot has heaped praise on Alonso ahead of his first game at Anfield as a manager, describing the Spaniard as “special”.
Last season, the 42-year-old guided Leverkusen to an unbeaten season in the Bundesliga, also collecting the German Cup before defeat to Atalanta in the Europa League final prevented them from completing a treble.
‘It’s a big European tie’ 👊
Arne Slot’s pre-Bayer Leverkusen press conference 🗣️
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 4, 2024
Slot said of his counterpart: “He is special, that’s clear. [He went to a] club who were bottom of the league and, with the same players, brought them all the way up without spending that much money that summer, only bringing in one or two very good players.
“He had a season where they only lost the final of the Europa League, [which] tells you he is special. What it is that makes him special is, for me, difficult to say because I haven’t faced him yet and I haven’t worked with him.
“[It] might be [because] he has worked with very good managers in the past.
“He was a player with an incredible insight into the game; he knew when to be where and he played at the highest levels, so he probably knows and understands how these players feel in certain moments.”
Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen: Records on the line
Liverpool have a huge obstacle standing in their way of making it four wins from four on Tuesday as they welcome a team with a remarkable away record.
Leverkusen are without defeat in 34 away games, winning 24 of those games, meaning Slot facing possibly his biggest test yet since taking the Anfield hotseat.
In fact, if Leverkusen avoid defeat against the Reds and then on Saturday at bottom-of-the-table Bochum, they will gave gone 18 months unbeaten on their travels under Alonso.
They are also yet to lose in the Champions League this season, having beaten Feyenoord and AC Milan before drawing with Brest.
That said. Leverkusen are yet to reach the heights they previously scaled in the league last season, having taken 16 points so far – nine fewer than how many they had last term – while they have just one win in their last four.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have beaten Milan, Bologna and RB Leipzig in the Champions League so far.
Star attacker Mohamed Salah is also one goal away from scoring his 50th in the Champions League, with Liverpool also unbeaten against German sides at Anfield in 20 previous games.
