Reported Manchester United target Jeremie Frimpong is similar to Trent Alexander-Arnold in the way he "bravely" attacks but "forgets that he needs to defend".

That is according to Dimitar Berbatov, who played for both United and Frimpong's current club Bayer Leverkusen.

Reports this week have suggested United manager Erik ten Hag is particularly keen on the right-back, having this season rotated between using Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in that role.

Frimpong has scored eight goals in the Bundesliga this season, the most of any defender across Europe's top five leagues, while only Raphael Guerreiro can match his 14 goal involvements.

Dalot has a goal and two assists in the Premier League, while Wan-Bissaka has not contributed to a single goal.

Frimpong also ranks first among defenders for touches in the opposition box (118) and second for chances created from open play (41).

In the latter category, he is joined in the top 10 by Liverpool's Alexander Arnold (35), and Berbatov sees similarities between the two – at both ends of the pitch.

"He is someone who reminds me of Trent Alexander Arnold, because he is primarily an attacking full-back and sometimes he forgets that he needs to defend as well," Berbatov, speaking on behalf of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, told Stats Perform.

"But the way he's playing, bravely going up the pitch, attacking, running, assisting and scoring goals, it's a joy for me to watch, to be honest.

"Yes, I say it in the form of a joke, but he needs to work a bit more on his defensive part of the game.

"But he's very young, he has a bright future in my mind, and I think some of the big clubs will come up to him, for sure."

Alexander-Arnold has been widely criticised for his defensive work, with that scrutiny increasing in a difficult season for Liverpool.

However, he played a hybrid midfield role on Monday against Leeds United and provided two assists in a 6-1 win.

Meanwhile, Frimpong has played every game for a Leverkusen side who have conceded 41 goals in the Bundesliga, the joint-most in the top half of the table.

Dimitar Berbatov and Ben Foster featured in Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s 2022/23 UEFA Europa League campaign content, Mission Masterclass’. You can view episode one in full https://youtu.be/XTCqaMGIvyI

Real Madrid are reportedly eager to bolster their full-back options, to upgrade from Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy.

Los Blancos were linked with Manchester City's Joao Cancelo - currently on loan at Bayern Munich - earlier this week by Fichajes.

The Spanish giants are set to miss out on this season's LaLiga title, with Barcelona leading by 10 points.

TOP STORY – MADRID KEEN ON LIVERPOOL'S TAA

Real Madrid will turn to Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold should they fail to land Reece James from Chelsea, claims Ekrem Konur.

Los Blancos are in the market for a new full-back and Konur claims Madrid could also turn to Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong.

Alexander-Arnold has had a mixed campaign for Liverpool, who appear set for a squad revamp in the off-season. The 24-year-old England full-back is contracted with the Reds until 2025.

ROUND-UP

– Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is an admirer of Torino's 21-year-old midfielder Samuele Ricci with Los Blancos keeping tabs on his situation, according to Tuttosport.

– The Sunday Mirror claims Manchester City are leading the race to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham from Real Madrid , with Liverpool having pulled out.

– Chelsea are looking to offer Romelu Lukaku as part of a deal with Atletico Madrid to sign Portuguese forward Joao Felix permanently, reports Fichajes. Chelsea are unwilling to pay Atletico's €100m asking fee, but may part with €70m along with the Belgian forward.

– Tottenham are tracking Barcelona winger Ansu Fati, reports Mundo Deportivo. The report suggests Spurs are willing to make him their most expensive transfer in club history.

– RB Leipzig are considering a move to sign Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun in the close season, claims Todofichajes. Balogun has impressed this season on loan with Reims .

– Chelsea have interviewed Sporting boss Ruben Amorim about taking over as manager next season, reports talkSPORT.

Chelsea and Bayern Munich are reportedly both in contact with Spanish midfielder Gavi amid concerns that Barcelona's financial position will mean they are unable to retain him.

Gavi, 18, is one of the top central midfield prospects in the world, having already racked up 87 senior appearances for Barcelona since debuting in the 2021-22 season.

According to AS, the contract extension Gavi signed this season to tie him to Barcelona until 2026 was rejected by LaLiga because of the club's finances and, if they fail to clear enough salary room by June 30, Gavi will be allowed to leave on a free transfer.

TOP STORY – CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SHARKS CIRCLING VULNERABLE BARCELONA

AS reports Chelsea have already met with Gavi's agent in an attempt to convince him of a Premier League move, and a second meeting is expected with Chelsea owner Todd Boehly and Gavi's parents in attendance.

The report states Chelsea are prepared to make the teen with 19 senior caps for Spain one of the Premier League's highest-paid players – significantly more than the contract he signed with Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Sport adds Bayern have also alerted Gavi's agent that they are prepared to submit a significant offer if he ends up being allowed to leave on a free.

ROUND-UP

– 90min is reporting Chelsea are confident they will be able to convince 24-year-old Napoli striker Victor Osimhen to join, despite not being able to offer Champions League football, as Osimhen's childhood hero was Didier Drogba.

– According to Football Insider, Liverpool have made 24-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister their top midfield target in the off-season.

– Leeds United have strong interest in Barcelona loanee Ez Abde, with the 21-year-old winger shining during his stint at Osasuna, per Sport.

– Journalist Nicolo Schira is reporting that Roma are considering a contract offer for 31-year-old Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino when he becomes a free agent after the season.

– According to Sport1's Patrick Berger, Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong is keen on a move to Manchester United, although his club is holding out for a €50million (£45m) fee.

A fine finish from Florian Wirtz rescued Bayer Leverkusen a 1-1 draw at home to Union Saint-Gilloise in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.

Wirtz struck in the 82nd minute just when it appeared a wasteful Leverkusen performance would make them the latest victims of Union's sensational fairy-tale story.

In the Belgian second tier just two years ago and now enjoying their first European campaign since 1964-65, Union had already eliminated another Bundesliga side in namesakes Union Berlin.

Victor Boniface scored twice in the away leg of that last-16 tie and added a sixth Europa League goal of the season when he calmly steered a low finish past Lukas Hradecky from the left-hand side of the penalty area six minutes into the second half on Thursday.

The closest either team had come to scoring prior to that had been when Jonathan Tah unwittingly divert the ball against his own crossbar with his elbow from an Union corner.

Leverkusen did not lack endeavour, but the requisite quality was missing until Wirtz fired in a potentially vital equaliser from outside the area.

Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Barcelona have all reportedly met with the agent of 22-year-old Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong about a potential transfer.

Frimpong has exploded onto the scene this season as a weapon going forward, scoring eight league goals in 26 Bundesliga fixtures after just a single goal in his first 18 months in Germany.

Having previously represented the Netherlands at youth levels, his sparkling form was rewarded as he was included in their World Cup squad, although he did not get to make his senior debut.

He is viewed as one of Leverkusen's most valuable assets, and the club are expecting Champions League teams to come calling.

TOP STORY – UNITED LEAD THE CHARGE FOR GOAL-SCORING RIGHT-BACK

According to Sport Bild, United and boss Erik ten Hag have been in contact with Leverkusen "for weeks" trying to sort out the framework of a deal, with the German side reportedly starting the bidding at £44million (€50m).

The report states that asking price is not seen as a significant hurdle, and Leverkusen have already begun the process of replacing Frimpong with the signing of 20-year-old Brazilian Arthur from America MG in recent days.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano adds Bayern and Barcelona have also had "direct meetings" with Frimpong's agent, although a decision on the future of Joao Cancelo remains the priority for Bayern, and Barcelona's finances make their situation unclear.

ROUND-UP

– Roma coach Jose Mourinho is in high demand, with Relevo reporting Chelsea have enquired about bringing him back for a third stint, while Corriere dello Sport claims he has received an offer from the Saudi Pro League that would pay him €120m over the next two seasons.

– Spanish publication COPE is reporting Chelsea, United and Tottenham are all investigating a potential move for 22-year-old Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, despite his gaudy £87m (€100m) release clause.

– According to Calciomercato, Newcastle United have been impressed with 21-year-old Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez, with the Mexican having starred in his first season in the Eredivisie.

– Inter are trying to fend off interest from Manchester City by signing 23-year-old centre-back Alessandro Bastoni to a new long-term contract, per Calciomercato.

Chelsea seem to have resigned themselves to making a major loss on Romelu Lukaku, who has only netted five times on loan at Inter this term.

According to a Football Insider report, the Blues are ready to move him on in at the end of the season, with Inter unlikely to try to extend his stay in Milan.

Chelsea spent £97.5milion to bring Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge in August 2021, but they are unlikely to get anywhere near that now.

TOP STORY – GERMAN CHAMPIONS LINE UP SHOCK LUKAKU MOVE

Bayern Munich are lining up a shock move for Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku to bolster their attacking options, claims Fichajes.

The report claims Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann is an admirer of the Belgium striker, who he believes is one of the world's best forwards if injury free.

Bayern will not commence negotiations with Chelsea until the end of the season. The German champions had been linked with Harry Kane as they look for someone to replace Robert Lewandowski, who left for Barcelona last year.

Calciomercato reports that Chelsea may try to land a deal with Roma with a swap deal involving Tammy Abraham.

ROUND-UP

– 90min claims Manchester City have reignited their interest in signing 19-year-old Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz following a long-term knee injury which forced him to miss the 2022 World Cup. Fabrizio Romano claims Real Madrid will compete for the German's services too.

– Tottenham are interested in Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson, reports ESPN. Henderson is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest from United, who could use Spurs' interest as leverage in a deal for Harry Kane, per the report

– Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto is drawing interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, while 90min claims Juventus and Napoli are among a list of Italian clubs tracking him too.

– Fabrizio Romano claims Barcelona on the cusp of agreeing to a deal with Athletic Bilbao centre-back Inigo Martinez to join the Blaugrana on a free transfer in the off-season.

– Paris Saint-Germain are prepared to let Portuguese midfielder Renato Sanches exit amid interest from Milan along with Premier League clubs Aston Villa, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Tottenham and Wolves, reports 90min.

– Football London reports Arsenal are ready to ramp up their interest in Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi with a bid to come in the coming months, although he has a €60m release clause in his contract.

Xabi Alonso said it was an "incredible" thrill to beat Bayern Munich as the Bayer Leverkusen boss enhanced his growing reputation with Sunday's victory.

Former Bayern midfielder Alonso, who won three Bundesliga titles in a three-year spell with the Bavarians, has turned his hand to coaching since 2017 and dealt his old team a huge blow to their hopes of an 11th successive championship.

Alonso took over at Leverkusen in October, shortly after a 4-0 defeat away to Bayern, and has lifted the team from second-bottom at the time of his arrival to eighth position.

They are just three points off sixth after a 2-1 win over Bayern, who trail Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund by one point with nine rounds of games remaining.

Victory came courtesy of two Exequiel Palacios penalties, after Bayern took the lead through Joshua Kimmich.

Bizarrely, Amine Adli was booked for diving initially in both penalty incidents, before the bookings were rescinded and spot-kicks were awarded.

"The feeling after the game is incredible," said Alonso, quoted on the Bundesliga website.

"We won against one of the best teams in Europe."

His team are also through to the Europa League quarter-finals, with Alonso's first season proving a roaring success so far. They won away to Ferencvaros on Thursday, and following that up by beating the 10-in-a-row German champions was no mean feat.

"I'm very happy and proud that we were able to continue the performance from the Europa League," Alonso said. "It was very important that we equalised. We played with a lot of energy and it wasn't easy."

Referee Tobias Stieler spoke about the penalty incidents and pointed out the value of VAR, thanking the television match official.

"He was my lifesaver – and also the lifesaver for the game," Stieler told DAZN. "In the end, both teams were happy because the right decision was made."

He was glad Adli was not affronted by the decisions that initially went against him.

"The only thing left to do is take it with humour," Stieler said. "We hugged each other during the game and also after the game. Now he promised me the shirt."

Hasan Salihamidzic blasted Bayern Munich as "inferior in all areas" in their loss to Bayer Leverkusen, as the champions slipped up in the Bundesliga title race.

A 2-1 defeat in the final game before the international break saw Julian Nagelsmann's side fail to reclaim top spot a day after losing it to Borussia Dortmund.

With the two sides set to meet in their first game back on April 1, Bayern will enter the crunch clash knowing a second reverse in a row could spell the end of their title defence.

Sporting director Salihamidzic was left fuming by what he perceived as a poor mentality throughout, and felt the visitors deserved nothing at BayArena.

"That's not what Bayern means," he told SPORT1 in discussing the performance. "We missed everything [that we] demanded from a team that won on Thursday. We were inferior in all areas."

"Confidence or not, we have to bring [our] mentality and greed onto the pitch. It is about the championship [race].

"We had two shots on goal in the last few minutes, but [we had] so little drive, [or] mentality, [or] assertiveness. I've rarely experienced that.

"This team is so good when the mentality is right from the start, but [they can be] just as bad when they don't do it and think that they can do everything with [their] quality."

Bayern had won three straight league games after losing to Borussia Monchengladbach last month but will now welcome Dortmund trailing their Klassiker rivals by a point.

Julian Nagelsmann felt his team deserved to lose after two Exequiel Palacios penalties condemned Bayern Munich to a 2-1 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen at BayArena on Sunday.

After title rivals Borussia Dortmund picked up three points on Saturday to move them top, a 22nd-minute deflected goal from Joshua Kimmich looked to have set Bayern on their way to retaking their position at the summit.

But Palacios converted twice from the spot after the break, both for fouls on Amine Adli, to inflict a third league defeat of the season on Bayern and hand Dortmund the advantage ahead of the pair's table-topping Klassiker after the upcoming international break.

Nagelsmann had no complaints with the defeat or the penalty decisions, both of which saw Adli initially handed a yellow card for diving until a VAR review intervened to award a spot-kick.

"I saw relatively quickly that both are penalties," Nagelsmann told DAZN after the game. "They definitely weren't dives.

"We deserved to lose. Except for the last ten minutes, we were the worse team. 

"We did a lot on our own. A lot of pressing by ourselves, a lot of walking by ourselves."

Nagelsmann blamed fatigue for the below-par display, which saw them lose a Bundesliga game after leading at half-time for the first time in 87 matches since a 3-1 defeat against Leverkusen in February 2019.

"Today we were pretty sluggish overall," Nagelsmann added. "We won very few duels up front, but also in defence.

"We have some exhausted players, so of course it was difficult. We were very weak in our game."

Captain Thomas Muller agreed with his head coach that Bayern's efforts did not warrant anything out of the game, saying: "Leverkusen did very well today.

"Unfortunately, we put very little of what has made us strong in the last few games onto the pitch.

"Looking at the game as a whole, the defeat is unfortunately deserved today."

Though some of his players are now set to jet off to their respective national teams, Nagelsmann's sights are set firmly on that crucial clash with Dortmund in just under two weeks.

He is under no illusion of the importance of that fixture, explaining: "We definitely have to win [against Dortmund], otherwise it will be difficult to win the championship."

Bayern Munich missed the chance to return to the top of the Bundesliga after they were sunk by two VAR-assisted penalties in a 2-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.

Joshua Kimmich's first-half strike had given the champions the lead at BayArena, putting them back on course for the summit heading into the international break.

But a pair of spot-kicks in the second half from Exequiel Palacios instead sealed a deserved comeback for the hosts, who often looked more threatening.

It means Julian Nagelsmann's side lie second behind Borussia Dortmund heading into the pair's table-topping Klassiker at the start of April.

Having been leapfrogged by their rivals on Saturday, Bayern knew they needed a result on the road to retake top spot.

After withstanding early Leverkusen pressure, they set about finding it amid torrential rain, with Kimmich drilling a close-range finish home in the 22nd minute, aided by a kind deflection.

For the rest of the first half, however, it was Bayern who appeared to be more on the back foot, Leverkusen creating a flurry of chances, led by Moussa Diaby.

The hosts remained on top following the restart and were rewarded with a penalty after Benjamin Pavard stepped on Amine Adli's heel.

Palacios converted powerfully to equalise in the 55th minute and stepped up again 18 minutes later when Adli was caught once more by Dayot Upamecano.

The Argentinian again made no mistake to put Leverkusen into a worthy lead, and from there they clung on for a crucial victory that dealt Bayern's title defence a serious blow.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has won plenty of admirers with 13 goals and 15 assists for runaway Serie A leaders Napoli this season.

The 22-year-old Georgian joined Napoli in July 2022, penning a contract until 2027 for a for a reported fee of €10–12 million from Dinamo Batumi.

Kvaratskhelia has helped Napoli into the Champions League quarter-finals, while winning the Serie A's Player of the Month twice.

TOP STORY – PSG TO TABLE LUCRATIVE OFFER FOR NAPOLI STAR

Paris Saint-Germain are ready to go all-out and offer Khvicha Kvaratskhelia a whopping €180m deal, claims Le10Sport.

Real Madrid are also reportedly monitoring the winger's status although he has previously shown no interest in exiting Napoli. It has been claimed Napoli would not accept anything below €100m for their emerging star.

The lucrative deal is plausible given PSG hold the record for the two most expensive transfers in world football, signing Neymar for €222m in 2017 and Kylian Mbappe for €180m in 2018.

ROUND-UP

– Mundo Deportivo reports Borussia Dortmund have placed a bumper €125m (£110m) minimum price tag on midfielder Jude Bellingham as a long list of clubs chase his signature including Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester United.

– Manchester United are willing to pay the €50m (£44m) release clause in Ousmane Dembele's Barcelona contract as they look to sign the French winger, reports Fichajes. The report claims the Blaugrana may be open to that as they look to sort their financial challenges.

– Chelsea are interested in an off-season move for Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier, reports Football Insider. The report claims Blues boss Graham Potter wants a new stopper, with Meslier seen as a cheaper option if Leeds go down. Fichajes claims Chelsea are keen on Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana to take over from Kepa Arrizabalaga.

– Newcastle United have revived their interest in Bayer Leverkusen pair Moussa Diaby and Mitchel Bakker claims 90min. Arsenal have been linked with Diaby in the past, with the French winger reportedly worth €70m (£62m).

– Juventus are still pushing to sign Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante as a free agent despite reports he will re-sign with the Blues, according to Calciomercato.

– The Mirror reports Manchester United are set to hand manager Erik ten Hag a new three-year extension, despite the ongoing uncertainty around the sale of the club.

Xabi Alonso saluted the development of former team-mate Joshua Kimmich as the Bayer Leverkusen boss prepares for a reunion with Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich on Sunday.

Almost six years have passed since Alonso retired as a player, bringing an illustrious on-field career to a close at Bayern, where he won three consecutive league titles.

Kimmich was making his way in the game during Alonso's three-season spell at the club, arriving from Stuttgart and becoming increasingly important to Bayern but still having plenty to improve in his game.

Now 28, Kimmich has matured into one of Europe's most complete midfielders, which is what Alonso expected he might become.

Asked whether he saw similarities between himself and Kimmich, Alonso said: "In terms of position, yes. When I saw Joshua for the first time, I knew he had a great future just based on his style of play, his personality and his character.

"He has developed really well. His passes are special, the way he distributes the ball as well as his vision on the pitch. I like the way he plays. He’s a super player in the way he presents himself."

There have been few playmakers as complete as Alonso in the past 20 years. Kimmich is not far off, and the Germany international has time in which to rival the Spaniard's trophy haul, which includes two Champions Leagues, two European Championships and a World Cup.

On Sunday, Alonso's Leverkusen will confront a Bayern side that should feature Kimmich. After a slow start under predecessor Gerardo Seoane, Leverkusen have shown huge improvement under Alonso, who is almost six months into his first top-flight coaching job.

Thomas Muller, Kingsley Coman and Kimmich were team-mates of Alonso, but the Leverkusen boss, a former Real Madrid and Liverpool star, does not see any obvious advantage from their past acquaintance.

"I do know them, but that doesn't make it easier," Alonso said, quoted on his club's website. "Our aim is to stop their players and make the game as difficult as possible for our opponents."

He will offer a few pointers, all the same.

"Yes, of course I can do that," Alonso said, "but it's always easier to say these things than to do them."

Xabi Alonso and Bayern Munich were once a perfect match, and few would be surprised should they couple up again somewhere down the line.

Yet Alonso could put a dent in Bayern's Bundesliga title prospects on Sunday, when his Bayer Leverkusen side host the 10-in-a-row champions at BayArena.

Six years have passed since Alonso announced he would be retiring as a player at the end of the 2016-17 season, sparking an outpouring of tributes to one of the great midfield artists of his era.

That news, revealed in March 2017, raised the question of 'what next?' for a man who as a player won a World Cup and two European Championships with Spain, Champions League titles with Liverpool and Real Madrid, and would end up with a hat-trick of Bundesliga medals at Bayern.

Suave, sophisticated and wealthy, with a happy family life, would he even need football again?

Only on his terms. What do you give the man who has everything? You give him control.

Stats Perform has looked at the coaching career so far of the 41-year-old Alonso, who might be a Bayern coach of the future but for now is plotting their downfall.

Softly, softly approach pays off

Like his former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard, Alonso began his coaching education out of the spotlight, at the clubs he knew best.

Where Gerrard started off learning the coaching ropes at Liverpool's academy, Alonso accepted a role with Madrid's Under-14 team in 2018, while polishing off his coaching qualifications.

On June 1, 2019, Alonso stepped away from Madrid to become boss of Real Sociedad B, leading the Basques to promotion to Spain's Segunda Division, their first appearance at that level in 59 years.

Alonso spent three years with that second-string unit, and although they were relegated before he left, La Real noted his "brilliant" spell at the helm in a farewell note at the end of last season.

The club said Alonso had succeeded in "enriching, thanks to his knowledge and involvement, the training and progress of the players of our subsidiary", and pointed to his players successfully progressing through to the first team.

The future was uncertain for Alonso at that point, but only in the sense he would soon have his pick of clubs and would need to choose his pathway.

Bundesliga beckons again

Leverkusen were crushed 4-0 at Bayern in late September of last year, and it proved to be Gerardo Seoane's final Bundesliga game in charge of Die Werkself. They began the season by taking five points from eight league games and were in crisis.

Seoane was sacked and Alonso placed at the helm, telling reporters what had attracted him to his first top-flight coaching role.

He reasoned there was "always a risk" in taking on a new challenge. "But you have to always improve and take steps forward," Alonso added. "I firmly believe that it will work out here and I am fully motivated."

He had previously been presented with "the chance to coach good teams" but waited for the right opportunity, he said, and now he "realised that I'm ready".

Explaining what he would look for from his new team, Alonso urged them to buy into his methods.

"As a former midfielder, I like control," he said.

As graceful as he was in central midfield, Alonso was also a serial winner, and tellingly he had played under some of the great coaches: five years with Rafael Benitez at Liverpool, five years split between Manuel Pellegrini, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti at Madrid, and two years with Pep Guardiola at Bayern before one last campaign under Ancelotti with the Bavarians.

What an education.

Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes described Alonso as a player who was "an absolute world-class professional for many years, an intelligent strategist and extremely successful in three of the most demanding European leagues".

The message was clear: Leverkusen expected Alonso the coach to match up to Alonso the player. They were confident he was a world-class acquisition.

So far, so good

Guardiola sang the praises of Alonso in the week of his appointment by Leverkusen, saying he was a man who, in terms of understanding the game, "reads perfectly".

Leverkusen sat 17th in the 18-team Bundesliga, far from where they expected to be. They have finished in the top six in each of the last five seasons, and 12 of the last 13 campaigns, so the club's standards are high and were not being met.

After that risible start (W1 D2 L5) under Seoane, Bundesliga results have significantly picked up, with Alonso's haul of 29 points from 16 games (W9 D2 L5) having only been bettered by three teams (Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig) during the course of his reign, heading into this weekend's round of games.

Control, that watchword, is slowly coming. Their possession has inched up from 51.3 per cent for the initial eight games under Seoane to 53.5 per cent over the games bossed by Alonso. Bayern lead the way in possession with 63 per cent, followed by Dortmund (58 per cent). Leverkusen were ninth on the list under Alonso's predecessor but are fifth during his tenure.

Making changes and imposing new ideas in mid-season is far from easy, but Alonso is giving it a good crack.

Leverkusen ranked a distant fourth in open play sequences of 10-plus passes during the opening eight rounds of Bundesliga games, with 68 such sequences compared to leaders Bayern's 142. Under Alonso, Leverkusen have logged 204 such sequences of 10-plus passes in open play possession, which puts them third on the list for the duration of his time in charge.

Having had less than half as many possessional sequences as Bayern in the opening eight games, Leverkusen are now much more comparable, with Bayern leading the way with 274 and Leipzig second with 252.

Alonso's team have gone from an average of 3.31 passes per sequence to 3.77, a marked shift. Long passing success still leaves a little to be desired, with a gradual improvement from 44 to 46 per cent during Alonso's reign still leaving them behind Dortmund (60 per cent) and Bayern (59 per cent).

If only Alonso could be the one spraying such passes, Leverkusen would soon jump up that list. Like fellow great playmakers of years gone by, such as Andrea Pirlo and Glenn Hoddle, it is likely the case that Alonso has wowed players on the training pitch with his passing range, but he would give all that up now to have Leverkusen competing at the top of the Bundesliga.

Bring on Bayern

As it is, Leverkusen are not yet jostling near the summit. That slow start has meant even the major improvement under Alonso has only seen them rise to ninth spot, six points behind sixth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.

They might still bridge that gap and snatch a European place, but they need to be winning games, so the Bayern game is huge for them, just as it is for Julian Nagelsmann's visitors in their title battle with Dortmund.

Alonso, quoted in the German press after Thursday's Europa League win against Ferencvaros, said there was "no room for emotions" heading into the reunion with his old club.

"I had a great experience at Bayern Munich; I have fond memories of those three years," Alonso said. "Playing against them as a coach for the first time will be nice – and hopefully with a smile for me after the final whistle."

Julian Nagelsmann is excited by the opportunity to face Manchester City and Erling Haaland in the Champions League, believing the Norwegian striker could be an even tougher opponent than Kylian Mbappe.

Bayern Munich eliminated Mbappe and Lionel Messi from the tournament when they beat Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16, and were drawn to face City in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Should they progress again, Bayern will then go up against holders Real Madrid or Chelsea in the semi-finals, having already faced Inter, Barcelona and PSG in this season's Champions League.

"I think it's a very good draw, a difficult draw but I think if you win the title at the end then you would not like to hear that we were lucky with our draws," Nagelsmann said at a press conference ahead of Bayern's Bundesliga clash with Bayer Leverkusen.

"We want to win it and do it by beating big teams. We've had PSG, we had Inter and Barcelona in the group stage, so now City and then Real Madrid or Chelsea, then probably an Italian opponent in the final, it would be a triumph that would certainly send a big message to everyone.

"It's going to be difficult, we know that... we will prepare well and I think everyone is looking forward to it."

Bayern will need to handle former Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland better than RB Leipzig, who conceded five to him in the last-16 second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

"He's a tremendous player, he has great abilities... he's probably a little more physical than Mbappe and certainly comparable in pace," Nagelsmann said. "He has great heart, when he runs it's difficult to defend against him, but we also have a couple of strong offensive players."

The 35-year-old is also an admirer of City boss and former Bayern head coach Pep Guardiola, but said he does not model his ideas on the Spaniard, or indeed, any other coach.

"I saw a lot of games when he was at Barcelona, also at Bayern and City," Nagelsmann said. "I never really copied any things from him, I've never really analysed or copied anything from any other coach.

"Pep's teams are always nice to watch, he always has a nice idea to play football. [City] have a very balanced team."

Manchester United must overcome Europa League specialists Sevilla in order to reach a semi-final against either Juventus or Sporting CP.

United defeated Real Betis in the last 16 and will now face their city rivals Sevilla, six-time winners of the UEFA Cup and Europa League.

The sides have met three times previously, with Sevilla knocking United out of the 2017-18 Champions League over a two-legged tie before beating the Red Devils again in a one-off 2019-20 Europa League semi-final.

It is a daunting draw for United, who could then have to play Juventus in the last four.

The semi-final draw, which was also conducted on Friday, paired the winners of United's tie with Juventus or Sporting, who eliminated Arsenal on Thursday.

Even in the final, should Erik ten Hag's men make it that far, United could be set for a reunion with former manager Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho's Roma were drawn against Feyenoord in the quarter-finals in a repeat of last season's Europa Conference League final, which the Giallorossi won.

Bayer Leverkusen meet Union Saint-Gilloise in the final last-eight tie, playing for the right to face Roma or Feyenoord.

Europa League quarter-final draw in full:

Manchester United v Sevilla
Juventus v Sporting CP
Bayer Leverkusen v Union Saint-Gilloise
Feyenoord v Roma