Leverkusen slump at home in Ten Hag's first Bundesliga game

The 2024 German domestic double winners lose the opener as they lacked ideas and precision up front

Bayer Leverkusen coach Erik ten Hag - Bundesliga - Bayer Leverkusen v TSG 1899 Hoffenheim - BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany - Aug 23, 2025. REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler

Bayer Leverkusen suffered a shock 2-1 home loss to Hoffenheim in their Bundesliga season opener on Saturday to hand new coach Erik ten Hag a losing league debut.

Despite going 1-0 up, it was not the performance Dutchman Ten Hag, who replaced Xabi Alonso after the departures of star player Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah and Granit Xhaka, had wanted.

The 2024 German domestic double winners and last season's runners-up lacked ideas and precision up front while their backline badly missed Tah's dominant presence.

Hoffenheim hit the post through Tim Lemperle after two minutes but Leverkusen scored first when Jarell Qansah headed in for a sixth-minute lead.

Fisnik Asllani, however, bagged a 25th-minute equaliser after beating keeper Mark Flekken and things got worse for the hosts seven minutes after the restart when Lemperle drilled in a low shot from 22 metres.

Leverkusen did not get a look-in for much of the second half until Nathan Tella fired into the side netting.

Champions Bayern Munich opened the Bundesliga season on Friday with a 6-0 demolition of RB Leipzig.