Robert Andrich and the intriguing role liberos are playing in this season's Bundesliga title race

Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-1 win over Bayern Munich on Sunday afternoon was as surprising as it was ultimately deserved. Xabi Alonso’s side not only created more chances than their visitors but they also demonstrably won the tactical battle over the course of the 90 minutes. Where the Bavarian giants were used to imposing themselves on domestic opponents, the Bay Arena side instead took the game to Julian Nagelsmann’s puzzled team and won. 

There’s no doubt that a number of Leverkusen’s young stars deserve credit. Whether it be Florian Wirtz, Moussa Diaby or Jeremie Frimpong, Alonso’s baby-faced assassins made the German champions look slow and laboured on and off the ball. But, in truth, it wasn’t any of these three players that truly won the day for the pharmaceutical club. Instead, that honour belongs to 28-year-old midfielder Robert Andrich. 

Instead of playing his usual defensive midfield role, Alonso pulled Andrich back into the team’s defensive line to play as a libero. There, Andrich essentially slotted in as a make-shift central defender alongside Odilon Kossounou and Edmond Tapsoba. And in many ways it proved to be something of a masterstroke for Alonso and his side.