Xabi Alonso made his debut as Bundesliga coach.

On Saturday, the new Bayer Leverkusen coach saw the Werkself walk away 4-0 (2-0) against the completely harmless FC Schalke 04, whose coach Frank Kramer is now under pressure.

In the final phase, the many Schalke fans who had traveled with them chanted loudly: "Kramer out".

For the former Spanish world-class professional Alonso, however, it was a successful debut two days after his predecessor Gerardo Seoane was on leave.

The 40-year-old emotionally celebrated the goals of Moussa Diaby (38th minute), Jeremie Frimpong (41st/52nd) and substitute Paulinho (90th) on the sidelines.

Thanks to the second win of the season for the Champions League participant from Leverkusen, the Rhinelanders left the relegation zone with eight points from nine games and passed promoted Schalke.

The Royal Blues have now been waiting for an away win for 33 Bundesliga games.

In particular, Schalke's lack of playing level remains worrying, and the performance on Saturday was also combative.

"Intense with and without the ball"

Alonso's spectacular return to the Bundesliga was more of a focus than the situation at the former top club.

In 2014, the Spanish Basque made his debut as a Bundesliga player for Bayern, also against Schalke.

Eight years later, the former world-class professional directed his new team with striking energy and gestures from the start.

"Dominant.

Intense with and without the ball. With a high level of activity and mentality” – this is how the 40-year-old described his required playing style.

In addition to a change in personnel compared to the 0: 2 in the Champions League at FC Porto, which cost predecessor Seoane his job, the switch to a three-man defensive chain when in possession of the ball was particularly noticeable.

The Werkself initially didn't know what to do with the manpower they wanted in midfield.

As expected, Bayer was decisive in view of the individually significantly better players, but far too unimaginative in the first half hour.

In view of the current situation of both clubs, which started the season badly, it was initially not a respectable game.

Especially from the promoted little came apart from fighting and bolting.

An idea for the build-up of the game could not be seen at the Revierclub.

Added to this was the individual inferiority.

Goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow let a long-range shot from committed Diaby pass after just under 40 minutes.

The leadership gave one crisis team – Leverkusen – noticeably more self-confidence and unsettled the other crisis club.

Just two minutes after taking the lead, Schalke's defense let themselves be played off all too easily and Frimpong, after assisting the best Leverkusen player Diaby, increased the lead to a reassuring 2-0 lead for Bayer.

With one goal and some assists – Diaby later prepared the third Leverkusen goal, again by Frimpong – the Frenchman scored more goals in just one half under Alonso than in the first eight Bundesliga games of the season under former coach Seoane.

Kramer reacted at halftime and brought in Mehmet Aydin and Thomas Ouwejan for the again disappointing attacker Sebastian Polter and the overwhelmed Tobias Mohr.

Leverkusen now withdrew a bit, but Schalke still lacked ideas and class for the game structure.

Nevertheless, Alonso remained tense and always tried to make contact, especially with the Spanish-speaking players of his new team.

Even the decisive 3:0 again by Frimpong just a few minutes after the break hardly caused him to calm down.

For Alonso, Leverkusen is the first major coaching station after a move to Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2021 did not work out.

Most recently, he coached the second team of the Spanish first division club Real Sociedad San Sebastian for three years.