Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 Schalke
Goals: 1-0 Diaby 38’ (assist: Andrich), 2-0 Frimpong 41’ (assist: Diaby), 3-0 Frimpong 53’ (assist: Diaby), 4-0 Paulinho 90' (assist: Adli)

Alonso was handed the reins at Leverkusen during the week following the dismissal of Gerardo Seoane following 2-0 and 4-0 defeats at Porto and Bayern Munich respectively. Despite only having a couple of training sessions under the new coach, Die Werkself looked reinvigorated and were particularly active down the right through Frimpong and Diaby. Although getting in behind down that side time and time again, chances remained at a premium, with Diaby hitting the side netting the best moment until the Frenchman picked up the ball 30 yards out in the middle, drove at the defence and riffled past Alexander Schwolow from the edge of the box to get the Alonso era up and running. Diaby then turned provider three minutes later after Callum Hudson-Odoi had burst through the middle, laying off to Frimpong to finish across the Schalke goalkeeper. The visitors’ sole chance was a harmless Simon Terodde header late in the half.

The flow of the game remained much the same after the break as Leverkusen dominated. They brought up their third goal of the day when Diaby led a break and slipped in Frimpong with a defence-splitting pass for the defender to turn past Schwolow and bag his brace. There was no sign of the soft underbelly seen so far this season from Die Werkself as they saw out the game in comfortable fashion, restricting Schalke to just two attempts on goal without ever threatening. Substitutes Amine Adli and Paulinho combined to added the icing on the cake with a fourth on the break as the 90th minute approached. A debut victory for Alonso moves Leverkusen out of the bottom three for the first time in three weeks. Schalke have now lost three on the spin and return to the drop zone for the first time since Matchday 4.

Highlights

Diaby and Frimpong give Alonso winning start

Xabi Alonso: "I feel I can improve Leverkusen"