Bayer Leverkusen, the reigning German Cup and Bundesliga champions, began their title defense with a narrow 1-0 victory over Carl Zeiss Jena in the first round of the German Cup. The match, which was postponed from the weekend due to Leverkusen’s participation in the German Supercup, saw the fourth-tier side put up a staunch resistance against the reigning champions.
Leverkusen, missing key players like Granit Xhaka, Álex Grimaldo, Florian Wirtz, and Jeremie Frimpong in the starting lineup, struggled to break down Jena’s defense. Despite Amine Adli coming close with a shot that hit the post, the visitors created few clear-cut chances, leaving coach Xabi Alonso visibly frustrated on the sidelines.
In the second half, Alonso brought on Grimaldo for Arthur, and the move proved to be decisive. In the 52nd minute, Grimaldo delivered a cross that was met by Hofmann, who headed the ball past the Jena goalkeeper to give Leverkusen the lead.
Despite the goal, Leverkusen continued to face a tough challenge from Jena. Alonso introduced Wirtz and Frimpong in the 68th minute, followed by Xhaka five minutes later, in an attempt to inject more creativity into the attack. Jena, however, remained dangerous and almost equalized in the third minute of stoppage time when Hamza Muqaj narrowly missed connecting with Nils Butzen’s cross.
The match was a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of the German Cup, with lower-league sides often capable of pulling off upsets. Leverkusen’s win, though hard-earned, sets them up for the next round of the competition as they look to defend their title.
Meanwhile, in another postponed first-round match, Stuttgart defeated second-division team Preußen Münster 5-0 on Tuesday.
