Bayer Leverkusen’s new era under Erik ten Hag began in disappointing fashion as his side slipped to a 2-1 home defeat against Hoffenheim in their Bundesliga opener at the BayArena on Saturday.
The Dutch manager, who signed a two-year deal in May following his Manchester United exit, had hoped for a positive start, and things initially went according to plan when summer signing Jarell Quansah opened his account just six minutes into his debut.
The 21-year-old defender, a £35m arrival from Liverpool, rose highest to meet Alejandro Grimaldo’s expertly delivered free-kick, directing his header beyond Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann and sparking early celebrations among the home crowd of 29,390.
But Leverkusen’s lead lasted less than 20 minutes as Christian Ilzer’s Hoffenheim found their rhythm. Fisnik Asllani capitalised on sloppy defending to smash past Mark Flekken at his near post in the 25th minute, levelling the contest and silencing the BayArena.
The visitors completed their turnaround early in the second half. Asllani turned provider, threading a clever pass into the path of Tim Lemperle, who calmly slotted into the bottom corner in the 52nd minute to make it 2-1.
Leverkusen tried to respond, with Grimaldo going close after a deflected effort and Nathan Tella firing narrowly wide from a promising position. However, Hoffenheim’s compact defensive structure frustrated Ten Hag’s men, who failed to create clear chances in the closing stages.
It was a sobering afternoon for last season’s Bundesliga runners-up, who had finished 13 points behind champions Bayern Munich and entered the campaign with hopes of closing the gap under their new boss.
Ten Hag admitted afterwards that his side lacked sharpness in both boxes. “We started well, but in this league, you cannot switch off. We gave away cheap goals and didn’t take our chances,” he said. “This is the beginning of a process. We will improve.”
For Hoffenheim, it was the perfect start under Ilzer, who masterminded an organised and disciplined display. Asllani, with a goal and an assist, was the standout performer, while Lemperle’s clinical strike highlighted the squad’s efficiency in front of goal.
Elsewhere in the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund were held to a thrilling 3-3 draw at newly promoted St Pauli.
Serhou Guirassy put Dortmund ahead with a header from Marcel Sabitzer’s cross but squandered the chance to double the lead when his penalty was saved after Karim Adeyemi had been fouled.
St Pauli punished the miss after the break, with Andreas Hountondji equalising before Waldemar Anton’s deflected strike restored Dortmund’s advantage. Julian Brandt appeared to seal victory with a third, but late drama ensued.
Filippo Mane’s red card for dragging down Abdoulie Ceesay in the 85th minute gave St Pauli hope, and Danel Sinani converted the resulting penalty to make it 3-2. Eric Smith then drilled in a superb low effort in stoppage time to earn the underdogs a point and send the Millerntor Stadium into raptures.
Former Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham made his Bundesliga debut for Dortmund, though he endured a quiet first half before being substituted at the break.
Back in Leverkusen, the mood was far less buoyant. The home fans had expected fireworks under Ten Hag, but instead left the stadium with concerns over their side’s readiness for another title challenge. With tough fixtures ahead, including an early clash with Bayern, Leverkusen will need to find momentum quickly if they are to meet expectations this season.
For Ten Hag, the message was simple: the road ahead is long, but improvement must be swift.
