Hoffenheim spoil Erik ten Hag's Bundesliga debut with clinical away win at Bayer Leverkusen
Hoffenheim opened their season with an impressive 2-1 away victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Erik ten Hag's Bundesliga debut as head coach, with goals from Fisnik Asllani and Tim Lemperle overturning Jarell Quansah's early opener.
Bayer Leverkusen 1-2 Hoffenheim
Goals: 0-1 Quansah 6' (assist: Grimaldo), 1-1 Asllani 25' (assist: Touré), 1-2 Lemperle 52' (assist: Asllani)
The hosts nearly fell behind within two minutes when Lemperle struck the foot of Mark Flekken's right-hand post.
Leverkusen responded quickly, though, taking the lead after six minutes when Bundesliga debutant Quansah powered home a downward header from Alejandro Grimaldo's teasing free-kick.
Despite the setback, Hoffenheim continued to impress, dictating possession and creating better chances. Their persistence was rewarded in the 25th minute when Asllani rifled the ball past Flekken after Bazoumana Touré cleverly put the ball through Arthur's legs and supplied a perfect pass into the six-yard box.
Lemperle stuns the BayArena
Both teams made changes at half-time, with Ernest Poku replacing Arthur for Leverkusen, while Hoffenheim's Umut Tohumcu came on for the injured Wouter Burger.
The decisive moment arrived seven minutes after the restart. Baumann's long ball wasn't properly dealt with by the Leverkusen defence, allowing Asllani to cushion the ball back to Lemperle, who thundered a low shot beyond Flekken's despairing dive.
The hosts tried to respond but struggled to create clear chances against Hoffenheim's well-organised defensive unit. Their best opportunity came in the 79th minute when Nathan Tella met Grimaldo's cross but could only find the side netting.
Ten Hag introduced summer signings Claudio Echeverri and Christian Kofane late on, but Hoffenheim held firm to secure a deserved victory.
Man of the Match: Fisnik Asllani
After an outstanding season on loan at Elversberg where he tallied 18 goals and eight assists in Bundesliga 2, Asllani announced his Bundesliga arrival in style.
The 23-year-old striker not only scored the equaliser with an emphatic finish, but also provided the assist for Lemperle's winner.
His intelligent movement caused Leverkusen's defence problems throughout, and his link-up play with Toure and Lemperle was exceptional.
Covering an impressive 12.5 kilometres – more than any other player on the pitch – Asllani combined tireless work rate with clinical quality in the final third, fully deserving the Man of the Match accolade.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Leverkusen 0.89 - Hoffenheim 0.47
Fastest player: Bazoumana Toure (Hoffenheim), 34.44 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-2 by Tim Lemperle (Hoffenheim), 3.79 percent
Most pressed player: Alejandro Grimaldo (Leverkusen), 25 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Edmond Tapsoba (Leverkusen), +5.21
Fantasy Heroes: Alejandro Grimaldo (Leverkusen, 424 Points), Jarell Quansah (Leverkusen, 364 Points), Fisnik Asllani (Hoffenheim, 274 Points)
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