XABI SHOWS KING OF KOP CREDENTIALS

IF Xabi Alonso can get rid of Bayer Leverkusen’s ‘Neverkusen’ tag, then it might just lead him back to Anfield.

And on the evidence of Saturday night’s thumping 3-0 defeat of champions Bayern Munich, Liverpool chiefs can’t afford to wait to get a deal done. The win over Bayern (above) has put the Spaniard’s high-flying Leverkusen side – who have never won the Bundesliga – in control of this season’s title race.

They are yet to lose this season, winning 27 of their 31 matches, scoring 93 goals in the process.

Bayern star Harry Kane (below) barely had a kick as Thomas Tuchel’s side were outworked and outmanoeuvred by Alonso’s men, who moved five points clear at the top of the table.

“We did a great job,” said former Liverpool midfielder Alonso (left). “The discipline and compactness of the team was great. The whole performance was great. All players showed top performances. We had enough chances and they had almost no chances.

“We have great energy and that’s the key. There is no secret. The players believe and that’s what we want.” On his side’s title chances, Alonso added: “We’ll talk in May. We have to be realistic and keep our feet on the ground.”

Bayern managed just one shot on target and were comprehensively outplayed by their title rivals.

“To be honest, I’m p****d off,” said a furious Thomas Muller. “We’re much braver in training. We lacked courage. Sometimes you have to speak about the players. It’s not just about the coach. We have to step up.”

Tuchel responded: “He’s not wrong. We need to improve. We need to live up to the standards that Thomas rightly sets.”

In Leverkusen, Alonso has set a new standard. And if he wasn’t already, he’s now the clear No.1 pick to replace Jurgen Klopp on Merseyside.