Bayer Leverkusen began the new Bundesliga season with a 3-2 defeat to newly-promoted SV Elversberg. The Werkself, champions as recently as the 2023/24 campaign, were beaten by a historic debutant on Saturday.
Elversberg scored twice inside the first nine minutes, breaking the Bundesliga record for the fastest first two goals by a newcomer. Lukas Petkov and Cole Campbell provided the early shock. The home side's win probability before kick-off was just 17.9 percent.
Bayer Leverkusen never found their rhythm and conceded three times with Mark Flekken in goal. Leverkusen's defence struggled against the aggressive and bold promoted side. David Mokwa made it 3-0 for Elversberg just 45 seconds into the second half, assisted by Lukas Petkov. Although Leverkusen managed to score two goals, the early lead proved insurmountable.
With this loss, Bayer Leverkusen sits in 13th place after the first matchday, with zero points and a goal difference of -1. The team is already three points behind leaders Bayern Munich. Their recent form is marked with an 'L' for loss. The squad was missing Kennet Eichhorn and Montrell Culbreath due to injury, impacting coach Xabi Alonso's options.
SV Elversberg wrote Bundesliga history with this victory. Five years ago, the club was playing in the fourth division. Their starting lineup featured seven Bundesliga debutants, while the other four players had a combined total of just 25 top-flight appearances. The club has never lost on the opening matchday at professional level, with two wins and three draws in Bundesliga 2 and 3. Liga.
Cole Campbell, who scored the second goal, is 20 years old and joined Elversberg from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. He had previously made ten Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund and Hoffenheim, where he spent the latter half of last season on loan. "What a start. We still cannot describe the feelings we have after the game," Campbell said. "And also to start the first game off with a win is absolutely amazing. I could not be happier."
The defeat is a significant setback for Bayer Leverkusen's ambitions this season. The team must respond quickly to avoid falling behind the leading pack. Elversberg's expected goals (xGoals) value at the final whistle was only 1.35. Elversberg is the first team since Ingolstadt in 2015 to win their maiden Bundesliga outing.
Bayer Leverkusen's focus now shifts entirely to the next fixture. The Werkself host league rivals Union Berlin on September 5, 2026, who currently sit in 9th place. This home game is already a key match for Leverkusen to quickly move past the opening day disappointment. The next challenge for the team is this home match against Union Berlin on the 5th of September.
