Elversberg enjoyed a dream Bundesliga debut as one of the smallest clubs ever to grace the German top flight humbled 2024 champions Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 at home on Saturday.
Saarland-based Elversberg, from a district of just 13,000 people and a village of only 7,000, made an early mockery of pundits who said they would struggle badly in their first season after promotion.
In front of 10,000 fans at the URSAPHARM Arena with just three sides and a slew of temporary structures, Lukas Petkov struck on 8 minutes and ex-Borussia Dortmund youth prospect Cole Campbell netted straight after.
David Mokwa made it 3-0 right at the start of the second half. Patrik Schick’s flick for Leverkusen was their first shot on goal and Christian Kofane’s second in injury time set up a nervous finish, but the home side hung on.
It was an abject Bundesliga start for new Leverkusen coach Carles Martínez, especially as new captain Edmund Tapsoba was at fault for the first two goals, presenting US forward Campbell with the ball for the swift second.
New RB Leipzig boss Martín Demichelis had a winning start on his return to the Bundesliga as a coach, Ridle Baku, Antonio Nusa and Rocco Reitz netting in a 3-0 home win over Reitz’s ex-side Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Former Bayern Munich defender Demichelis was appointed at Leipzig in the close season after Ole Werner was sacked despite finishing in third.
Younes Ebnoutalib scored a hat-trick but Eintracht Frankfurt’s returning coach Adi Hütter, previously in charge 2018-21, had to make do with a 3-3 draw at Union Berlin.
The hosts, under new boss Mauro Lustrinelli, showed off their dead-ball expertise as Emmanuel Latte Lath headed in an early corner past new Eagles keeper Noah Atubolu.
But Ebnoutalib soon hit a quick double, including a second which was confirmed by goal-line technology, before completing his treble in the second period. Leopold Querfeld made up for a mistake for a Frankfurt goal with another header from a corner for Union, and Tim Skarke netted a leveller in stoppage time.
Cologne hit back three times to beat Hoffenheim 3-2 in the cathedral city and newcomers Paderborn drew 0-0 at Mainz.
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