Disappointing Start for Erik ten Hag
In a disappointing start to his tenure as Bayer Leverkusen’s head coach, Erik ten Hag witnessed his side succumb to Hoffenheim, who overturned an early deficit to secure a 2-1 victory at the BayArena on Saturday. This match marked Ten Hag’s first outing since replacing Xabi Alonso, who has departed for Real Madrid, and showcased a squad featuring three new acquisitions: goalkeeper Mark Flekken, forward Ibrahim Maza, and defender Jarell Quansah.
Match Highlights
Leverkusen initially took the lead courtesy of Quansah’s header, which came early in the match, igniting hopes for a successful debut under Ten Hag. However, their advantage was short-lived as Fisnik Asllani equalized in the 25th minute, capitalizing on Leverkusen’s defensive lapses before providing an assist to Tim Lemperle, who scored the decisive goal just after the break in the 52nd minute.
Impact of Summer Reshuffle
The impact of Leverkusen’s significant summer reshuffle was palpable, with the exits of prominent players including Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Jeremie Frimpong, and former captain Jonathan Tah leaving a noticeable void in the squad. Consequently, Leverkusen struggled to muster an effective response for the remainder of the match.
Other Bundesliga Debuts
The weekend also featured several other coaches making their Bundesliga debuts. Among them, Sandro Wagner celebrated a successful start with Augsburg, leading his team to a 3-1 win against Freiburg. Similarly, Paul Simonis enjoyed a strong beginning at Wolfsburg with an away victory over Heidenheim, finishing also at 3-1. In contrast, Horst Steffen‘s Werder Bremen faced a heavy defeat, losing 4-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt, where goalkeeper Michael Zetterer notably faced his former team just days after transferring.
