Ex-City Goalkeeper Criticizes Xabi Alonso Over How He Played Victor Boniface

Former goalkeeper Shay Given has criticized Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso’s strategic decision to position striker Victor Boniface as a left winger during their UEFA Champions League match against Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday.

Shay Given, who had notable stints at both Manchester City and Newcastle United, criticized Alonso while on Premier Sports Ireland broadcast after the Champions League game between Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool, which ended in a 4-1 defeat to the German side.

During the game, Alonso adopted 3-5-2 formation which left Leverkusen lacking a recognized centre forward, which proved to be a significant tactical flaw against a formidable Liverpool side.

In the first half, Leverkusen managed to hold their ground defensively, avoiding any goals against them, which seemed to indicate that the strategy was somewhat effective at that point in the match.

However, as the game progressed, the situation took a turn for the worse for the Bundesliga champions. After maintaining a stalemate for approximately an hour, they ultimately succumbed to a crushing 4-0 defeat.

The scoreline was dramatically influenced by Luis Díaz, who dazzled with a hat-trick, alongside Cody Gakpo, who added another goal to the tally, demonstrating Liverpool’s attacking prowess.

In his reaction to Bayer Leverkusen’s performance against Liverpool, Given recalled attending the Europa League final at the end of the previous season in Dublin, where he found Leverkusen’s performance against Atalanta to be underwhelming. “They were so disappointing, they got bullied against Atalanta in the final,” he said.

Given continued to analyze the team’s dynamics, saying, “I don’t know, just very poor in the final third.”

He acknowledged that while the team attempted to play out from the back and transition through the midfield, the positioning of Boniface was problematic. “At times, Boniface was playing on the left wing, which is not where you want him. You want him to be more of a target man; you want him to bring some sort of injection to the attack.”