Harmless, unimaginative – and further without a point: Bayer Leverkusen’s false start is still a case for the club’s history. Coach Gerardo Seoane’s highly ambitious team also lost 3-0 (2-0) against TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday (08/20/22).
In the fourth competitive game of the season, it was Leverkusen’s fourth defeat, something that has never happened before. Christoph Baumgartner (9th minute), Andrej Kramarić (35th) and Georginio Rutter (78th) scored the TSG goals.
Seoane under pressure to explain after a historically poor start
Champions League participants Bayer are still at the bottom of the table, and the factory club also failed in the first round of the DFB Cup. The season has barely begun when the highly rated Seoane is already under pressure to explain.
The achievements of his team at the start of the season had Coach I said before that there is really no reason to panic – but the missing results are a problem. And the opening phase against Hoffenheim became the blueprint for this young season: Bayer started well, but after just over half an hour it was 0-2.
TSG is low after the lead in Leverkusen
Because Leverkusen did little, but the opponent everything. Moussa Diaby steered towards the opposing goal early on with plenty of space, but allowed the angle to become a bit too acute and failed at Oliver Baumann (7th). Only two minutes later, the guest scored, it was a “that too” moment for the Bayer fans: Baumgartner stood quite harmlessly with his back to the goal – and then completed the hoe.
From now on, TSG stood deep and hardly did anything for the game, but Bayer often tried too hard and rarely got through. Occasional whistles could be heard from the stands when Hoffenheim once again launched a rare counterattack: Ozan Kabak had a lot of time, Bayer goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky ran under the cross and Kramaric only had to push in.
Rutter with dream goal to decide for Hoffenheim
At least once before the break things went well for Bayer. The supposed 0:3 by Robert Skov didn’t count due to a foul, the video assistant helped with the decision. Even the return of the veterans Hradecky (after a red suspension) and Robert Andrich (contusion) had not stabilized the Bayer Leverkusen structure.
The second half was almost the same picture. For a long time now, the game was played almost exclusively in Hoffenheim’s half, but both teams were hardly ever dangerous. Rutter then made everything clear for the Kraichgauer with a dream goal in the corner.
Leverkusen in Mainz, Hoffenheim against Augsburg
Leverkusen will play in Mainz next Saturday (3:30 p.m.). Hoffenheim will also meet FC Augsburg on Saturday (3.30 p.m.).