Leverkusen stumbles in Bundesliga debut under ten Hag

Early lead undone by Hoffenheim comeback

Leverkusen seized an early advantage when English defender Jarrell Quansah scored in the 6th minute. However, returning Hoffenheim loanee, Vesnik Asllani, equalized in the 25th minute. The visitors then took the lead early in the second half, thanks to Tim Lemperle—Hoffenheim’s new signing from Cologne—in the 52nd minute.

New era short-lived momentum

The defeat underlines a rocky start for Leverkusen’s new managerial era. Last season, the club finished as Bundesliga runners-up and reached the Europa League final under former coach Xabi Alonso. The offseason saw the departure of key players like Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Jonathan Tah, Jeremy Frimpong, and Lukas Hradecky. Despite a dominant 4–0 DFB-Pokal win against Großasbach, the league opener highlighted the challenges ahead.

Eintracht Frankfurt thrash Werder Bremen 4–1

Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt delivered a dominant performance against Werder Bremen, winning 4–1. Goals came from young Turkish talent Can Yilmaz Uzun (22nd minute), Frenchman Jean-Mathieu Bahoya (25th and 47th minutes), and substitute Ansgar Knopf (70th minute). Bremen’s lone goal was netted by Justin Niema in the 48th minute.