da esoccer bet： Xabi Alonso's side are flying going into Sunday's big game against Borussia Dortmund, with several individuals playing out of their skin

da stake casino： Bayern Munich made statement signing of the summer transfer window in Germany, winning the race to sign Harry Kane by agreeing to pay Tottenham €100 million (£86m/$109m) for the England international. The feeling was that the Bavarians had acquired a No.9 capable of firing them to Champions League glory this season – and you certainly wouldn't rule it out, with Kane having already scored 22 times in 18 appearances in all competitions.

Truth be told, though, there's no guarantee that Bayern will even win the Bundesliga this season. A 12th consecutive title was taken as a given after Kane's arrival at the Allianz Arena, but despite the striker's sensational form, his team is not top of the table right now.

That's because while Bayern were dominating the headlines with a club-record signing, Bayer Leverkusen were constructing a squad perfectly suited to Xabi Alonso's 3-4-2-1 formation with the money raised from the sale of Moussa Diaby to Aston Villa – and the results have been remarkable. Ahead of Sunday's clash with Borussia Dortmund, unbeaten Bayer have taken 34 points from the 36 available so far – equalling a record set by Bayern Munich in 2015-16, when Alonso was anchoring Pep Guardiola's midfield.

So, can the Spaniard keep this run going? Could he really lead his thrilling team to a first-ever German title? Could the 'Neverkusen' nickname be finally banished? There's still a long, long way to go, of course, but what is clear is that Alonso has had an incredible impact on several players, from top young talents to revived veterans.

GOAL runs through the key men behind Leverkusen's historic start to the 2023-24 season…

Getty ImagesVictor Boniface

If there was one thing that Leverkusen lacked last season, it was an imposing and prolific No.9 – Diaby was their top scorer in the Bundesliga with nine goals. Victor Boniface, though, has already struck seven times since joining from Union Saint-Gillioise for €20m (£17m/$21m). That is quite the outlay for a player who hadn't exactly taken the Belgian championship by storm.

However, Boniface did impress in the Europa League, eventually finishing as the tournament's joint-top scorer alongside Marcus Rashford, and he's already justified his transfer fee by proving the perfect player to spearhead Alonso's attack. Indeed, the 22-year-old has also contributed five assists to the Leverkusen cause, with his fine form resulting in a well-deserved Nigeria debut in September.

AdvertisementGettyJeremie Frimpong

Jeremie Frimpong has been the subject of intense transfer speculation for months now – and it's easy to understand why. The former Celtic man has taken his game to a whole other level since Alonso's arrival as coach, becoming one of Leverkusen's most effective attacking outlets down the right-hand side with his pace and skill.

Frimpong has been directly involved in nine goals in 12 Bundesliga appearances, scoring four himself from wing-back. It's hardly surprising, then, that he is being linked with a summer switch to one of Europe's elite, with a €40m (£35m/$44m) buy-out clause reportedly set to come into effect at the end of the season.

Getty ImagesAlex Grimaldo

Left-back had been something of a problem position for Leverkusen, but it's fair to say that Alex Grimaldo has solved it. The Spanish set-piece specialist has been a revelation since joining on a free transfer during the summer after seven years at Benfica. He's got as many goals as Boniface in the Bundesliga (seven) and racked up four assists – illustrating Leverkusen's amazing goalscoring threat out wide.

However, Grimaldo has also been excellent defensively, while the importance of his experience and winning mentality has been regularly talked up by his new team-mates.

GettyJonas Hofmann

Yet another fantastic summer signing, 31-year-old Jonas Hofmann is arguably playing the best football of his career after joining Leverkusen friom Borussia Monchengladbach for just €10m (£9m/$11m).

Hofmann has, of course, been a top Bundesliga player for some time now, netting 12 goals in each of his past two campaigns. But the hard-working winger is already well on his way to bettering that tally this season, having struck five times in his first 12 outings for Bayer.

However, it's worth pointing out that in a team full of attacking talents, no player has created more chances than Hofmann (32), who also has five assists to his name.