AFCON 2025
Hoffenheim ruined Erik ten Hag’s Bundesliga debut as Bayer Leverkusen’s coach, securing a 2-1 comeback win at the BayArena on Saturday afternoon.
Jarell Quansah’s early header gave Leverkusen the lead, but Fisnik Asllani equalized in the 25th minute and assisted Tim Lemperle’s 52nd-minute winner.
Leverkusen, missing departed stars like Florian Wirtz and Granit Xhaka, struggled to respond under Ten Hag, one of four coaches debuting with new clubs.
Elsewhere, Sandro Wagner’s Augsburg enjoyed a dream start, defeating Freiburg 3-1, while Paul Simonis’ Wolfsburg won 3-1 at Heidenheim. Horst Steffen’s Werder Bremen fell 4-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt, with debutant goalkeeper Michael Zetterer facing his former club.
Borussia Dortmund salvaged a 3-3 draw at St. Pauli despite Filippo Mané’s late red card. Danel Sinani’s penalty and Eric Smith’s long-range strike leveled the score after Dortmund led 3-1.
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Union Berlin’s 20-year-old debutant Ilyas Ansah stole the show, scoring twice in a 2-1 victory over Stuttgart. His stunning volleys in the 18th and before halftime, plus Frederik Rönnow’s crucial saves, secured the win despite a late Stuttgart goal.
