Chelsea v Leeds United: How Xabi Alonso fared against Daniel Farke in the Bundesliga

Wednesday night will be the fifth time Farke has managed against Chelsea as Leeds manager, and in all five games, he has faced a different man in the dugout. It was Mauricio Pochettino in a 2024 FA Cup clash.

A game Chelsea won 3-2 at Stamford Bridge. Last season, Farke beat Enzo Maresca at Elland Road, drew with Liam Rosenior at Chelsea, and then lost to Calum McFarlane at Wembley. Now, he faces Alonso.

Daniel Farke and Xabi Alonso did battle twice in Germany

Alonso became Bayer Leverkusen manager back in October 2022, almost an entire season before he guided Leverkusen to an unbeaten campaign and secured the Bundesliga title at the end of 2024.

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He joined Leverkusen while Farke was in charge of Gladbach, with the Leeds manager’s stint lasting the 2022-23 season before joining Leeds that summer. The two managers did battle on two occasions.

The first saw Alonso secure a 3-2 win at Gladbach, a game in which Callum Hudson-Odoi came off the bench for Alonso’s side. Then, in the return fixture, the two sides played out a 2-2 draw in May 2023.

What can we expect from Wednesday night’s clash?

If Alonso and Farke’s two games on the touchline tell us anything, it’s that there will be goals come Wednesday at Stamford Bridge. But Chelsea have the upper hand, not least because they are at home.

This will be Farke’s tenth career match against Chelsea, and his 3-1 win over Maresca’s Chelsea back in December 2025 is the only time he has enjoyed victory against the Blues. He has lost on six occasions.

Alonso is likely to make a handful of changes on Wednesday night, but Leeds will be a tough team to beat. They remain unbeaten this season, unlike Chelsea, after four games – three of which were away.

Two wins at Forest, a draw at home to Brentford, and then a draw against Brighton on Saturday, on the south coast. Chelsea will need to be at their best to beat Leeds and reach the fourth round of the Cup.