Bayer Leverkusen opened their pre-season campaign with a dominant 7-0 victory over fifth-tier SF Baumberg at the newly inaugurated MEGA Stadion. The result provided an ideal start for new head coach Carles Martínez, who took charge of his first competitive fixture since succeeding Xabi Alonso at the Bundesliga club.
The match served as the official opening of Baumberg’s new home ground, with Leverkusen providing the opposition for the celebratory occasion. Martínez utilised a 4-2-3-1 formation and divided the contest into two 35-minute halves, allowing him to field completely different teams in each period and assess his entire squad.
Recent signing Afonso Moreira made an immediate impact with a first-half brace, while Christian Kofane also registered before the break to establish a comfortable lead for Die Werkself. The interval changes brought fresh legs and continued momentum, with Victor Boniface particularly catching the eye despite ongoing speculation surrounding his future at the club. The Nigerian forward struck twice in the space of five minutes to underline his finishing prowess and make a strong first impression on his new manager.
Captain Robert Andrich added the sixth goal with a well-taken strike from outside the penalty area, before Nathan Tella completed the scoring three minutes from the end with a close-range finish. The clean sheet and seven goals provided Martínez with plenty of positives as he evaluates his options ahead of the new campaign.
The new coach was without Kennet Eichhorn, with the recent acquisition missing out due to a minor infection. Several key players remain absent following international duty at the World Cup, including Argentina midfielder Exequiel Palacios, who will feature against France in Sunday’s final. These squad members are expected to integrate into training sessions in the coming days. Leverkusen will host an open training session at the BayArena on Tuesday morning ahead of their next fixture.