Bayer Leverkusen fans were even excited about Erik ten Hag during the pre-season friendlies, but the official opening of the 2025/26 Bundesliga may have given the reigning runners-up a very unfortunate shock of reality, as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Hoffenheim at the BayArena.
Visitors stay organised and punish Leverkusen mistakes
It looked like things would turn out differently after Jarell Quansah burst into the box to open the scoring with a header from Grimaldo's free-kick from the right, just five minutes into the game. However, the visitors didn't let their emotions get the better of them and managed to respond with a very quick attack down the left. Touré received Kramaric in the area and slipped a pass between Arthur's legs to set up Asllani, who unleashed a firm shot for the equalizer.
Once the score was level, Hoffenheim became more tactically organized and exploited the spaces left by Leverkusen's three-man defensive line, with Coufal and Touré being the highlights as they moved around the final third at speed. Flekken made two sensational saves to secure the lead, while Ten Hag's side were only dangerous from set pieces, with Grimaldo requiring saves from Baumann.
At the start of the second half, the visitors managed to turn the game around when Baumann sent in a cross from behind the defense and Asllani held off the defenders, leaving Tim Lemperle free on the edge of the box to hit the ball home. With more possession, Leverkusen had a hard time getting past their opponents' defense and abused random crosses into the box, a bad memory for Manchester United fans.
Leverkusen only had one real chance with Tella, who deflected Grimaldo's cross wide. On the other hand, Hoffenheim showed a lot of organization and physical intensity to win direct duels and take three points away from home in a huge debut.