The 22nd round of games will be played in the German Bundesliga this weekend with Bayer Leverkusen still leading the pack with a five points gap over reigning champions Bayern Munich, OwnGoalNigeria.comreports.
Bayer Leverkusen opened up the gap after a 3-0 win over the champions last weekend. A game which head coach of the leaders Xavi Alonso took their opponent by suprise in his starting lineup.
Alonso handed a start to Nathan Tella, the one cap Nigeria international who was signed from English Championship side Southampton in the summer for a fee in the region of €20m, a fee that he commanded after his 17 goals helped powered his loan Burnley back to the English Premier the previous season.
It has taken a while for the 24 year old to find his feet, and now a lot of people are beginning to see the reason why he commanded that fee despite playing for a team in the English Championship.
Against Bayern Munich, he was deployed in a rather strange role by Alonso in the sense that it requires him to track back and also be effective upfront. He responded with an assist in the big win. A role which left the Bayern confused.
“When you have a coach as smart and incredible as him,” explains the 24-year-old, “he can do anything.
“The way he conveys his ideas makes it very easy for all of us to understand straight away. We all go into the games with the self-confidence that no matter how we are lined up, we are capable of putting in a good performance and we were capable of it. That’s a good feeling.”
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman