Bayer Leverkusen began the 2026/27 Bundesliga season with a surprising 2:3 defeat to newly-promoted SV Elversberg. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken delivered sharp criticism of the team's performance after the match in Saarland.
Mark Flekken was highly critical of the team's display following the final whistle. The 33-year-old Dutchman cited a lack of mental capacity, energy, and game understanding as reasons for the opening defeat. "If you start like that in the first half, are 2:0 down very early, and then repeat it in the second half, then something is missing," said the keeper. He even agreed that Leverkusen could have been 5:0 down at halftime.
Carles Martínez, the successor to Kasper Hjulmand, congratulated his colleague Vincent Wagner of Elversberg on an "incredible game". The Spanish coach rejected the notion that his team was mentally unprepared. Instead, he emphasized the opponent's strong performance. "They play very well. I was not surprised by that, we expected it." said Martínez. The current league table shows the impact of this loss on the standings.
Meanwhile, sporting director Simon Rolfes announced an important personnel decision. He assumes that German international Robert Andrich will stay at the club despite previous considerations of a move. The 31-year-old is under contract until 2028. Also, winger Moussa Diaby is returning to Leverkusen after a stint in Saudi Arabia. Diaby previously played for the club from 2019 to 2023. The full squad overview can be found on our squad page.
Die Werkself fell behind early in the sold-out stadium. Lukas Petkov scored in the 8th minute, with Cole Campbell adding another just one minute later. Immediately after halftime, David Mokwa made it 3:0 in the 46th minute. Late goals from Patrik Schick (77th) and Christian Kofane (90.+1) came too late to salvage a point. Captain Edmond Tapsoba looked uncertain during the first two conceded goals. Detailed match statistics are available in our stats.
The defeat is a setback at the start of the season. Flekken warned that this cannot continue. "I don't want to blindly throw the whole team under the bus right now, it's still a long season." cautioned the goalkeeper. The team must now respond quickly to pick up points during the upcoming challenging run of fixtures.
