Bayer Leverkusen bot a disastrous performance to start the Bundesliga season with a shocking 2-3 defeat at newly-promoted SV Elversberg. The Werkself collapsed against the smallest top-flight club in history and now sits in 15th place in the table after the first matchday.
Xabi Alonso's team was never in the game from the outset. Lukas Petkov put Elversberg ahead in the 8th minute after a defensive error by Loic Badé. Just 61 seconds later, Cole Campbell made it 2-0 following a catastrophic mistake by Leverkusen's new captain Edmond Tapsoba. Right after halftime, only 25 seconds in, David Mokwa sealed the deal at 3-0. Late goals from Patrik Schick (77th) and Christian Kofane (90th) were mere consolations.
Bayer Leverkusen's defensive display was abysmal. Five players received the worst possible grade of 6 in the match ratings. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken, 33, could not compensate for the errors in front of him. "I'm simply lost for words," Flekken said afterwards. "We lacked mental capacity, energy, and game understanding. We were physically not present." The defeat evoked bad memories of a 4-3 DFB-Pokal loss to Elversberg four years ago, when the Saarland club was in the third division.
The loss means Bayer Leverkusen starts the season with zero points and occupies 15th place in the current standings. Their goal difference stands at 2 goals scored and 3 conceded, a deficit of one. They are already three points behind league leaders Bayern Munich. The next chance for points comes on September 5th in a home match against currently 7th-placed Union Berlin. This match is part of a demanding fixtures schedule.
The weak defensive showing shows reports that Bayer Leverkusen is looking to strengthen the squad. The club is in negotiations to sign Ivorian right-back Guéla Doué from Racing Strasbourg. Doué is 23 years old, a World Cup participant, and under contract until 2029. Leverkusen wants to pay a maximum of 30 million euros. A potential indicator of an imminent transfer: Doué was not in Strasbourg's squad for their league match against Lens on Saturday evening.
At the same time, the club must cope with several injured players. The current injuries list includes Eliesse Ben Seghir, Michael Culbreath, Kjell Eichhorn, and Martin Terrier. Their return will be important for the challenges ahead.
Among the spectators in Elversberg was 57-year-old fashion designer Thomas Hayo, known from Heidi Klum's 'Germany's Next Topmodel'. Hayo is originally from neighboring Neunkirchen, played football in his youth, and now lives in New York. He had announced he would occasionally visit Elversberg for Bundesliga matches. His hometown club Borussia Neunkirchen is one of four Saarland clubs to have played in the Bundesliga. Elversberg is the first of them to win its opening Bundesliga match.
For Bayer Leverkusen, the defeat is a massive setback at the start of the campaign. The team must analyze its mistakes quickly before the important home game against Union Berlin. The defense needs to become more solid to compete in both the league and the Europa League. The current stats highlight the urgent need for improvement.
