Xabi Alonso bows out with historic unbeaten away record

Xabi Alonso’s time at Bayer Leverkusen has come to a close, but Spanish tactician didn’t leave without one final gift to club’s history books. In his farewell match as head coach, Leverkusen held Mainz to a dramatic 2-2 draw; a result that sealed a remarkable achievement, two consecutive Bundesliga seasons without a single away defeat.

Xabi Alonso spent two and a half transformative years at Bayer Leverkusen, during which he guided the German side to unprecedented heights. Under his leadership, Leverkusen won their first-ever domestic double; lifting both Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in 2023–24 season without losing a single match.

Though they fell short of defending the league title this season, finishing second behind Bayern Munich, Alonso’s impact remains historic. With his departure confirmed; he is set to take charge of Real Madrid next season, Alonso coached his final game for Leverkusen on Saturday, away at Mainz.

Even in his last match, Alonso ensured Leverkusen achieved something remarkable. Despite trailing 1-0 in first half, they fought back to earn a 2-2 draw. This result meant that for the second straight season, Bayer Leverkusen went unbeaten in all away matches; a streak that now stands at 34 consecutive Bundesliga games on the road without a loss.

Mainz struck first through Paul Nebel in 35th minute. But Patrik Schick responded after halftime, scoring from the penalty spot in 49th minute and adding a second just five minutes later to put Leverkusen ahead 2-1. Mainz equalized through a Jonathan Burkardt penalty in 63rd minute. In the dying minutes, Mainz nearly ended Leverkusen’s streak when Stefan Bell found the net; but the goal was ruled out by VAR.

With that, Alonso’s final act was one of resilience and history-making; a fitting end to a tenure that reshaped Bayer Leverkusen’s identity and left behind a legacy of excellence.