Newcomers Elversberg race into a 3-0 lead and hold on to beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-2

SV Elversberg introduced themselves to the Bundesliga in the loudest way possible, beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 on their top-flight debut at the URSAPHARM-Arena. The promoted side raced into a three-goal lead and did just enough to keep it.

Lukas Petkov's deflected strike put them ahead on eight minutes. Barely a minute later, a loose pass out of the Leverkusen defence fell to Cole Campbell, who drove forward and finished for 2-0. Forty-five seconds into the second half, David Mokwa turned in Petkov's assist to make it 3-0.

Leverkusen's late rally falls short

Carles Martínez's first match in charge of Leverkusen looked lost until Patrik Schick pulled one back on 77 minutes, set up by Ibrahim Maza, and Christian Kofane made it 3-2 in first-half stoppage time — too late to matter. Elversberg became the first side since Ingolstadt in 2015 to win their opening Bundesliga game.

Match facts

• 8' — Lukas Petkov (Elversberg), assisted by Francis Onyeka
• 9' — Cole Campbell (Elversberg)
• 46' — David Mokwa (Elversberg), assisted by Lukas Petkov
• 77' — Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen), assisted by Ibrahim Maza
• 90+1' — Christian Kofane (Bayer Leverkusen)

Leverkusen had two-thirds of the ball and the higher xG, but Elversberg took their early chances and defended the rest. On the opening weekend, that was enough.

What's next

The Bundesliga table will not settle until matchday 1 finishes, but Elversberg start their top-flight life with three points and a place in the upper half of the opening-weekend standings, while Leverkusen open on zero. Matchday 2 comes next weekend.