Bayer Leverkusen star Jonathan Tah has overlooked a number of Liverpool players when picking between Bundesliga and Rest of World XIs
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Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso and Jonathan Tah during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD2 training and press conference at BayArena
Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso and Jonathan Tah during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD2 training and press conference at BayArena
(Image: Photo by Jörg Schüler/Bayer 04 Leverkusen via Getty Images)
Bayer Leverkusen star Jonathan Tah has raised eyebrows after snubbing a number of Liverpool players when picking between a Bundesliga and World XI. The 28-year-old was a member of the German outfit’s side that were thrashed 4-0 by the Reds in the Champions League last month.
But that did not stop him from making a number of questionable decisions when picking between two sets of players in a this or that challenge with Goal.
Alisson Becker and Trent Alexander-Arnold were both overlooked by Tah, as he instead opted for Manuel Neuer and his Leverkusen team-mate Jeremie Frimpong. He’d then chuckle when opting to select himself ahead of Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.
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The rest of his backline saw him select Alphonso Davies over Theo Hernandez and Ruben Dias instead of Nico Schlotterbeck.
In midfield, Rodri got the nod over Joshua Kimmich, he selected Florian Wirtz instead of Jude Bellingham, and Martin Odegaard rather than Xavi Simons.
Meanwhile in attack, Tah opted for Michael Olise rather than Cole Palmer, Jamal Musiala instead of Lamine Yamal and Erling Haarland over Harry Kane as he selected seven Bundesliga players to the World XI’s four.
Tah is of course entitled to his opinion, and who can blame him for opting to show a bit of bias when it comes to his Leverkusen team-mates in particular. But choosing to select himself ahead of Van Dijk especially, just weeks after being thrashed by Liverpool, would have earned a wry smile from those of a Reds persuasion.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot would praise the Germany international as ‘one of the best defenders in Germany’ following the Reds’ victory over Xabi Alonso’s side last month.
However, it was something of a backhanded compliment as the Dutchman also highlighted a weakness in the defender’s game, which Liverpool then went on to exploit by surprisingly playing Luis Diaz upfront as the Colombian went on to score a hat-trick.
"A few things. I only have four attackers available at the moment with the injuries to Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa,” Slot said, when explaining his decision to play Diaz down the middle. “And Darwin didn't play that much in the beginning and then started to play a bit more.
"With this fixture list, it is almost impossible to play them all. So that, combined with Jonathan Tah being a really good defender, one of the best defenders in Germany, who likes to play a bit more against a target man, means we chose to play Lucho more from the left or from midfield and maybe surprise him afterwards with runs in behind.
"And yeah, if you look at the first goal, that paid off. What a pass from Curtis Jones."
Liverpool have been linked with a move for Tah in the past, but reported interest has seemingly never gone further than the transfer gossip columns.
A member of Germany’s squad for Euro 2024, the 28-year-old is now in his 10th season at Leverkusen and has made 374 appearances for the club to date. With a career-best 48 of them coming last season, he was a vital member of Alonso’s side that won a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double but was agonisingly denied an invincible treble-winning campaign by their only defeat coming in the Europa League final.
While Tah ultimately struggled up against Liverpool, Van Dijk is enjoying a sensational campaign with the Reds and has helped silence both Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland when keeping clean sheets in 2-0 victories over Real Madrid and Man City last week.
Slot might rate the Bayer Leverkusen star, but that does not mean he would ever consider trading in his captain.
While Tah might have selected a number of Bundesliga players, Van Dijk, Alisson and Alexander-Arnold all arguably considered the best in their respective positions in world football. And the Reds head coach knows the truth, with it confirmed even further by working closely with such stars during his Anfield reign to date.