That's the question facing Xabi Alonso and Bayer Leverkusen as they seek to prove they belong among European soccer's top teams after ending Bayern Munich's 11-year reign in the German league last season.

Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso was caught by surprise when the news broke that Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala had renewed his contract until 2030 on the eve of the two teams' big Bundesliga topper on Saturday.

With Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen side trailing Bundesliga leaders, Bayern Munich by eight points, the Leverkusen Head Coach tried to play down the hype on Friday ahead of an enthralling

Saturday's Bundesliga big game between leaders Bayern Munich and champions Bayer Leverkusen is not a title-deciding game even though the latter are eight points behind the Bavarians, Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said on Friday.

Bayer Leverkusen's chief executive Fernand Carro is confident Xabi Alonso will remain with the club heading into next season. ( More Football News) Alonso led Leverkusen to an undefeated Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double last season. Indeed, Leverkusen's only loss of the entire campaign came in the Europa League final against Atalanta.

Bayer Leverkusen, led by coach Xabi Alonso, seeks to cement its place among Europe's soccer elite following an outstanding season. With key players retained, Leverkusen aims for consistent top-four finishes and Champions League qualification,

Xabi Alonso insisted that Bayer Leverkusen's top-of-the-table clash with Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will not decide where the title will end up this season.